


Lucky in Love on the Starship Enterprise

by klmeri



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Humor, M/M, Meddling, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3437339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klmeri/pseuds/klmeri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joanna McCoy visits her father while the Enterprise is docked near Earth.  Her mission: to improve his love life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who stood up for me against that meanie, RL Work. With February coming to an end, I am finally able to return to the fandom!
> 
> PS - Joanna has been on my mind lately: how she might have felt about her father at a young age, some of the things she might have done, her view of Leonard's 'family' on the Enterprise, etc. Then I realized what a funny McSpirk story I could make out of that. So, enjoy!

The ship's corridors are quiet, nearly empty except for a few housekeeping staff and the occasional engineer. The final party of 'Fleet officers have departed to the nearby space station. From there they will disperse to various locations across Earth—or even a little farther out in the solar system—until such time as the starship is ready to return to space flight. The few who remain behind are integral to the re-fitting, or they have made it clear that they are at home nowhere else but the Enterprise.

"Captain Jim!"

A young girl with a wide grin belts down a stretch of corridor towards one of her favorite people, her ponytail of brown hair streaming out behind her like a starboard flag. She ignores her father's warning of "Slow down, Jo!" and reaches her destination with a skid of sneakers across the spotless floor. There, she snaps to attention like a solider greeting her general, offering the most proper of salutes.

James Kirk's return salute is sloppy, a touch of defiance left over from his pre-Academy days. His "At ease, Lieutenant" is full of affection.

Joanna McCoy's eyes gleam as she says to her approaching father, "I made Lieutenant!"

"Because you're a stellar officer, JoJo. One of my best. Keep up the good work, and I'll promote you to Commander in no time," Jim promises.

Leonard lays a hand on his daughter's shoulder, rolling his eyes at the pair. "She's eleven, Jim."

Jim and Joanna ignore him. 

"Where's my station, sir?" the child wants to know. She cranes her neck around Jim as if already anticipating the trip to the Bridge.

Jim places a hand on her free shoulder and says, "First things first. How would you like a tour of my starship?"

Leonard turns his gaze heavenward once again but makes no comment. Clearly he knows better than to point out that she would remember her first tour.

Joanna bounces up and down on the balls of her feet. "Absolutely, Captain Jim!"

Leonard drops his hand away and allows Jim to steer Joanna to a turbolift. He doesn't follow them, saying instead, "I'll be in Sickbay. Have her back by lunch, Jim. Oh and skip the Jefferies Tubes this time, will ya?"

Jim leans down to whisper something in Leonard's daughter's ear. She laughs.

Leonard crosses his arms and shakes his head until the man and child disappear from sight.

~~~

Joanna McCoy, like her dad, is very intelligent but prone to impatience with topics that do not interest her. When Jim starts in with an innocuous question about her schooling as they descend toward Engineering, Joanna cuts him off with "Dad already grilled me about school."

"Oh," the man says, pausing slightly. "Did he also ask you who your friends are at your new school?"

The girl glances sideways at the man and asks suspiciously, "Why?"

Jim reaches out to tweak the end of her nose. "'Cause I'm terrible at schoolwork but I'm good at punching bullies."

Joanna huffs. "I know how to handle bullies." She thinks on that for another second. "I like biting them better."

"Whatever works."

"Dad says violence is not the answer."

"Your dad's not wrong."

"Then why did you say that?"

"Because, right or wrong, I would still defend your honor." He smiles, leaning over to whisper, "And so would Bones."

Joanna smiles at that. Bones is a funny nickname for a person. The first time Joanna had heard Jim say it, she thought her father might have turned into a skeleton since she last saw him (which, at the time, she thought he would've deserved for leaving her behind). He certainly didn't like it when she tried out the nickname herself, calling him Bones. Jim had told her later, "Your name for him is special enough. Nobody gets to call him Dad but you."

Sometimes Captain Jim makes a whole lot of sense. 

Right now, he wants her approval and she is happy to give it to him. She says, "Okay." Then she tacks on primly, "But for the record, I can take of myself. Plus, nobody's mean to me at school because they know I can get your autograph."

"Ah, thanks. Now I understand." Jim lifts a hand like he has an invisible pen. "Where do I sign?"

Joanna knocks her shoulder into his arm. "You're funny, Captain Jim. I'm glad my daddy takes care of you."

Jim's hand drops to the top of her head. "So am I, kiddo—so am I."

~~~

"Mr. Spock! Mr. Spock!"

Ponytail flying, Joanna hurries to catch up to a tall, familiar figure before the next turn of a corridor. Luckily, calling his name has the effect of causing him to stop and wait for her.

"Welcome aboard, Miss McCoy," Commander Spock greets her, raising one hand and spreading his fingers in the salutation of his people while tucking a data padd against his side with his other hand.

Joanna imitates the gesture. "Live long and prosper!"

"You have been practicing," the Vulcan notes with approval.

"Yes, sir," she says proudly. "I'm a natural now. I made Daddy practice too but he still can't do it right." Her eyes twinkle as she goes on to add, "You'll just have to forgive him for his shortcomings."

"I always do," is the officer's smooth reply.

"I won't tell Bones you said that," Joanna's escort remarks as he comes abreast of the pair. He glances from Spock to the child and back again. "How's your schedule looking today, Commander?"

Spock hardly blinks an eye. "There are no pressing matters I must attend to, Captain."

Jim grins. "Excellent! JoJo, any ideas?"

"Yes!" she cries, bouncing in place. "Mr. Spock, can you take me to see the roses, please? And the 'Man-Eaters'!"

"Certainly." Spock hands Jim his data padd. "Although, I must point out that our labs currently contain no flora which would consume a humanoid—" He gives a brief pause. "—not entirely. Captain, if you would return this report to my office, I will accompany Miss McCoy to the Botanical sector. Also, I have forwarded a copy to your personal computer. It requires your review and signature. I highlighted the relevant sections but recommend that you read it in its entirety before offering your approval."

"Wonderful," Jim says. "Paperwork on vacation. Thanks, Spock."

"You are most welcome."

If Joanna had to guess, she would say that Mr. Spock understands that Jim is not actually thanking him. It seems there are some things he has also improved upon since their previous encounter.

That's a good sign to her way of thinking.

Jim walks away, playing up his dejection, and Mr. Spock pays him no mind. "Shall we proceed?" he asks Joanna.

She gives a firm nod, along with "Lead the way, Mr. Spock!"

~~~

Lying on her belly in the middle of a Jeffries tube, Joanna watches her latest companion stick a device into the opening of a small side shaft and make a tapping noise with an instrument in his opposite hand.

She props her head up on her fists and asks, "How come you're not on leave, Mr. Scott?"

Mr. Scott (or Scotty, as dubbed by Captain Jim) lifts his eyebrows at her question. "I am on leave, lass!"

She wrinkles her nose. "But you're _working_."

He shakes his tool at her. "Well now, what may be work to you is fun for me!"

"But you can have fun on Earth or the station like everybody else. My dad says only a fool passes up a chance to take a break from his work."

The Chief of Engineer snorts. "He said that, did he? Well, your dad wasn't talking about me, Joanna. That's for certain!"

"What's that mean?"

Scotty looks like he might explain but then turns his head away and scoots farther into the shaft. 

Joanna tugs on his sleeve. "Mr. Scott. What's that mean?"

"Nothing, lass, really. Don't mind me, and hand me that wee wrench. I think I figured out the problem with the control circuit. A good whack ought to fix it!"

Joanna picks the first 'wee' tool she sees. "This one?"

"Aye, that'll do."

She waits until he is focused on his work again. "Mr. Scott?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think Dad was talking about Mr. Spock?"

There comes a bang and a curse from inside the shaft. 

"I think he was talking about Mr. Spock," Joanna decides. "Hey, I know that word. It's Klingon for—"

Scotty reappears quickly. "It means flowers!"

She purses her mouth. "No it doesn't."

"And sunshine! And puppies," the engineer tosses in desperately. "Dinnae repeat that word to your dad, Joanna, _please_."

Mr. Scott is so amusing. "All right," she assures him. "I won't." Her fingers might be crossed behind her back. 

His relief shows plainly on his face. "Thank the stars." He peers at her for a moment longer. "Lass, when'd the Capt'n say he was coming back for you?"

"I dunno."

"Isn't it your bedtime?"

Mr. Scott is also funny in the head. "It's the middle of the day, sir."

"Oh."

"Can we talk about Mr. Spock and my dad now?"

"Why would we do that?"

She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "'Cause I think they _like_ each other." She blinks. "Do you have to use the bathroom?"

"What?"

"You look like you have to use the bathroom."

"You know what?" Scotty says, pulling himself back into the main tube. "That's a grand idea. Let's head back! I, er, have some important things to take care of."

She doesn't understand his reaction and just shrugs, picking herself up. "Okay." 

She follows him back the way they came, waiting a minute or so before she says, "Mr. Scott?"

"Aye, lass?"

"I also know that you like Miss Uhura." 

Joanna picks up her pace because Mr. Scott's shuffle becomes more hurried. 

"I figured that out last time I was here. I figured out lots of things. And now I'm back." She pats his red-sleeved arm. "Don't worry. I came with a plan."

Scotty stops moving at that and turns around to stare at her. "A plan?" he echoes dubiously.

The girl-child beams. "Uh-huh. My dad says we're all family, but I just gotta make certain."

"Lass..." But Scotty shakes his head. "Never mind. I don't think I want to know."

Joanna reaches out and takes his hand, squeezing it. "Like I said, don't worry." She points ahead of them. "Is it that way?"

Her friend sighs. "Aye."

"...Mr. Scott?" Joanna says for the third time after a brief silence. "You won't tell Dad I've been in the Jefferies Tubes, will you?"

For some odd reason, her companion closes his eyes and murmurs something about a certain 'bloody capt'n' and death wishes. Joanna is content not to ask for the details (this time) and occupies herself by humming a popular tune.

Eventually Mr. Scott starts to hum too.

They walk on.

~~~

Joanna's father is drumming his fingers on his desktop and frowning at his computer screen.

"Dad, do you miss Mom?"

He casts a surprised glance at Joanna. "Why do you ask, Jo?"

She swings her legs despite that she is now tall enough for her feet to reach the floor when she sits down. 

"Just wonderin'." She tilts her head in a very Spock-like fashion. "Do you miss her?"

Leonard sighs and straightens in his chair. "I'll always miss your mother."

"Even though she made you leave?"

"It wasn't like that," her father counters quickly. "Our divorce was a mutual decision, Jo."

"But you still had to leave."

He looks away. "She wanted to raise you."

To this day, Joanna still doesn't quite understand why she couldn't live with him instead—why he didn't get a place of his own. But when she considers her surroundings, she thinks it is a good thing that he joined Starfleet. Visiting him on a starship is far better than going to some boring old apartment on Earth.

She had even been impressed with the Academy dorms.

"Joanna?"

Joanna starts, realizing she had not heard her father calling her name. She meets his eyes.

"Sweetheart, is there something you want to talk about?"

"No. I'm okay."

"You sure?"

Joanna nods. "Positive."

He doesn't look convinced. "You know can tell me anything, even if you think it will make me upset."

"Dad, really. I was only wondering if you were lonely sometimes."

An answer doesn't come right away.

Kicking her heel against her chair leg, she surmises, "So you _are_ lonely." When he still doesn't reply, she adds slyly, "And now you're upset."

That breaks the mood. Leonard huffs. "Some days I wonder where you get your sass from."

Joanna responds promptly with "Mr. Spock." 

Her father's mouth opens and closes for a long time, until at last he says, "You know that's not possible."

"Is this a nature versus nurture argument?"

He flushes red. "You've only met Spock twice!" Then he rubs a hand over his face, muttering, "My god..."

"I like him, Daddy."

"Jo, let's not talk about Mr. Spock."

"What about Captain Jim?"

"I don't know how Jim fits into this conversation, but I'm sure that I don't _want_ to know."

Joanna folds her hands in her lap like the doctors do in holovids. "Then I guess we need to talk about why you're lonely."

"Enough." Her father's voice changes tone, warning her. 

"Daddy, it's perfectly okay for you to date. Maybe I didn't like the idea before, but I was really little then. I'm grown up now."

" _Grown up_ ," the man across from her repeats. He shakes his head and switches off his computer. "Daughter mine, only one of us here is an adult and it's not the one who thinks she is the cutest." He comes to his feet. "C'mon, I'll take you to the rec room. I should have known Sickbay would be too boring for you."

"I'm not bored," she protests as she follows him out of his office.

"If you have time to enjoy the company of a stuffy Vulcan and a six-foot infant, then yes you are desperately bored. I checked with some of the staff a while back. We had a bunch of new game-boards installed recently. Want to play Galaxy Pirates against your old man?"

On one hand, she does like that; on the other, she doesn't want to concede the conversation. Maybe if she can just get confirmation...

"That game is ancient, Dad. I'll pick what we play." Joanna reaches for her father's hand to stall him for a quick moment. "Hey, can I ask you one more thing?"

He sighs through his nose in his usual way that means 'I suppose so'.

"Captain Jim and Mr. Spock are good people, right?"

Her father's gaze sharpens. "Well of course they are."

Joanna lets go of his hand and gives him a sunny smile. "Then don't be so shy around them!" 

Before he can puzzle out why she would ever think he is shy, his daughter skips ahead to the outer med bay, calling back, "I want to go to the gymnasium instead!"

"The gym? Why?" Leonard questions, hurrying after her. "The rec room is safer."

"Captain Jim is going to teach me how to throw punches!"

"—What! Now wait a minute!"

With a giggle that might be more of a cackle, she takes off to the nearest turbolift, certain that her father will pursue her.

~~~

Leonard McCoy's hands slash through the air as heavy emphasis to his lecture. The recipient of said lecture calmly places a hand on one of McCoy's shoulders despite the menacing air and says something. This seems to infuriate the man all the more.

Joanna scuffs the tip of her shoe against the red mat of the gym floor as she watches the pair. She isn't the only one interested in the show. Deciding that enough is enough, she turns to her neighbor and says plaintively, "How do I contact Mr. Spock?"

The neighbor blinks at her for a moment, then catches on. "Oh hey," he says, "that's a good idea!" He moves away with, she hopes, the purpose of informing the First Officer that his presence is required to break up a spat between the Enterprise's Captain and CMO.

As her father continues to fuss at Jim, Joanna removes her shoes and begins to turn cartwheels. She gets up to five in a row before she is dizzy enough to fall out of her sixth one and land in a heap on the mat. When she looks up, her father is hurrying towards her. 

She jumps up. "I'm fine!" To prove it, the girl does a back flip and lands on her feet with a proud grin.

Jim gives her a thumbs-up from behind Leonard's back. As though sensing this encouragement, the doctor whirls around to scowl at his captain. 

Joanna figures if they start fighting again, that will be for the better. She wants to see Mr. Spock in action.

"Jo!" her father calls sharply as she takes the position for another flip. "Time for dinner!"

Her arms drop to her sides and her bottom lip pushes out in a pout. "But what about my training?"

"There's going to be no training." Her father comes abreast of her, looking as stubborn as she does. 

Jim joins them. "Bones, it's a self-defense lesson. You can't say no."

"I've seen your version of self-defense, Jim. She can learn from Giotto. Him, I trust."

The look that flashes across Jim's face has Joanna biting into her bottom lip. "But, Dad," she says, "you trust Captain Jim."

Leonard's mouth thins into a line.

"It's all right, JoJo," Jim tells her, although the change in his posture doesn't convince her of everything being all right. "As long as he agrees that you should learn the basics, your father can pick whomever he likes as the teacher."

Why did her dad say that? Why is Captain Jim backing down?

The sound of approaching footsteps turns out to be Mr. Spock. 

"Miss McCoy, I believe you requested to see me?"

Joanna turns to the Vulcan, her eyes filling with genuine tears. "Mr. Spock," she says, "make them stop."

An arrested look comes into Spock's eyes, but it is quickly becomes replaced by something stronger, like fury. 

"Who?" he questions.

"Them." She indicates Captain Jim and her parent. "They're fighting like they don't care about each other—just like my mom and Dad did before they split up," she adds pitifully.

"Joanna!" her father says, shocked.

Spock walks over to her and, to everyone's surprise, places a hand on her small shoulder. "I apologize on behalf of Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy. They should know better than to cause you distress." 

His dark gaze turns on the two men, and he speaks with a voice that is calm but slightly cool. "I suggest that both of you think on why your behavior is inappropriate in the presence of a child. In the meantime, Joanna will accompany me to the Bridge."

Joanna blinks away her tears. "I'd like that very much, Mr. Spock." She looks to her father.

He doesn't say anything, just waves his hand in tacit permission.

Joanna follows Mr. Spock to the opposite side of the gym. When they are in an arm's length from the exit, she looks back to see what is happening among the two now abnormally quiet men. 

Captain Jim has his arms crossed over his chest and is staring at the floor, seemingly in deep thought. Her father's head is bowed in a way that she has only seen once before, on the day she accused him of selfishly forgetting about her when he joined Starfleet.

Spock touches her shoulder briefly again and urges her, "Come."

The girl obeys, wondering if she has caused more harm than good without meaning to. She, too, bows her head and walks away.

~~~

Joanna's excitement at being on the Bridge, however empty and still it is because of the scheduled re-fit, becomes subdued as time passes. Even sitting in the Captain's chair loses most of its thrill. Neither her father nor Captain Jim appear in the adjoining turbolift, only the odd officer with an engineering tricorder in his hand who never lingers. She did not know the Bridge could feel so lonely.

Slouching down as she has seen Captain Jim sit, Joanna runs her fingers over the control pad installed into one of the chair's arms. She doesn't realize Mr. Spock has left the upper deck until she sees the shadow of him standing beside her.

"You are troubled," he remarks.

"I thought my dad and Jim really liked each other," she confesses. "I didn't mean for them to say hurtful things."

If the Vulcan guesses that this is her confession of intentionally creating the opportunity for Leonard and Jim to fight, he does not indicate so. He tells her instead, "Individuals in a close relationship can often be at odds. I am told one is naturally more irritating as a friend than as a stranger."

"Daddy told you that."

"Affirmative."

"So you're saying it's normal. I shouldn't worry."

"Affirmative. The captain and the doctor will reconcile." Mr. Spock sounds certain of the outcome.

Joanna wiggles upright. "Mr. Spock, can I ask you a question? I'm curious about something."

"If I can address the subject of your curiosity, I will do so."

"Who do you like better: my dad or Captain Jim?" She adds quickly, "I promise I won't get mad if you say Captain Jim. I know Dad can be mean sometimes."

"Your father is one of the kindest people I know. I find it ironic, of course, that he prefers for others to view him as precisely the opposite."

Joanna suppresses a smile. "I dunno... He picks at you a lot. Doesn't that make you mad?"

"During the first year of our acquaintance, I was baffled by your father's constant need to engage in confrontation with me. In time it became clear that he took pleasure—quite perversely, I might add—from the arguments. His tactics were not meant to cause harm, only to force interaction. In hindsight, I see that I was foreign to your father in much of what I did and said, as he had had no direct experience with Vulcans before we met. Therefore, he sought to further his understanding by an unusual means, which I mistook for hostility. Any misunderstandings have been resolved, and since then our conversations have been quite stimulating, on many levels."

"Why, thanks, Spock," comes a drawl from behind them. "I'll make a note to call you 'an emotionless, coldblooded hobgoblin' more often."

Joanna turns around in her chair in delight, having not noticed her father's arrival with her attention on Mr. Spock. "Dad!"

Jim slides around Leonard, briefly clapping a hand to the doctor's shoulder as he steps down to join Joanna and his Vulcan First. "How do you like the chair, Lieutenant McCoy?"

Joanna lifts her chin in challenge. "That's Captain McCoy to you, sir."

"Ah, a self-promotion?" Jim surmises, hardly sounding surprised.

"You bet!" She grins, then holds out a hand so that her index finger hovers over a red button on the chair arm. "Hey, what's this do, Captain Jim?"

"Don't touch that, Jo!" her father warns her.

"If you don't press it, you'll never find out," Jim replies, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Jim! For god's sake, don't encourage her!"

With his hands clasped behind his back and appearing as placid as ever, Spock returns to his station.

Joanna cries, "I love you, Mr. Spock!"

Then she gleefully presses the button.


	2. Part Two

"Captain Jim?" 

Joanna swings the arm of the man in question as she walks with him to the cafeteria for breakfast. 

Normally her father has a meal waiting for her when she wakes up, but he had received an urgent medical call in the middle of the night and hadn't returned by the time she was awake. Jim, as the one waiting for her in the main cabin, explained that one of the engineers on board for the refit had had a minor accident and because the medical team was short-staffed, they needed her father's help. He had offered to escort her to breakfast. 

They enter a turbolift as Jim stills their swinging arms and asks her, "What?"

"Don't you worry about my dad?"

"Usually it's the other way around."

"But when he has to work late—don't you worry about that?"

Jim shoots her an amused look. "What are you getting at, JoJo?"

She raises an eyebrow just as her father would. "I'm sayin' I want to know if you look after my father or not, Captain Jim."

Jim squeezes her hand. "I do. I promised you that I would."

Oh, right. He did promise that, back when they first met, as soon as he realized that the worst of her anger covered up an overwhelming fear that her father would go off into the space and die there. As much as she had professed to hate her father, she had been terrified to lose him more than she felt she already had.

The girl bounces slightly on the balls of her feet. "I suppose so." She unlocks their hands and holds up her pinky finger. "But let's promise again."

Jim seems to have no problem with this. He hooks his littlest finger around hers and gives it a tug. "I swear on my life that nothing comes before your father and his well-being, not even my lovely Lady Enterprise."

"And Mr. Spock," she tacks on.

"Spock too? Seriously?"

"I like Mr. Spock," Joanna tells him pointedly, "so you'd better look after him."

"Hm," says Jim, "what if I'm in a situation where I have to choose between them? What do I do then, JoJo?"

"Well, duh, you choose both."

"I knew you'd say that."

"No, you didn't."

"Did too."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Did so!" 

Jim wraps an arm around her middle and tries to tickle her. Her automatic reaction is to kick him in the shin.

No one questions why the captain of the ship limps out of the turbolift with a triumphant-looking youngster by his side. She is, after all, the spitting image of Dr. McCoy when he has succeeded in reminding James T. Kirk of his station in life.

~~~

Joanna locates Mr. Spock right away inside the cafeteria and sends Jim off on the errand of acquiring her a delicious breakfast. When Jim dawdles, asking if she wants Bones-acceptable food or the very unacceptable kind, she says that she doesn't see anything wrong with the food her dad asks her to eat. Mr. Spock looks approving of this answer. Captain Jim, on the other hand, trails dejectedly across the hall to the replicators.

Joanna sits opposite of the Vulcan officer and leans across the table, whispering to him, "I think Captain Jim wanted a reason to eat waffles."

"Very probably," he agrees. "His habit of looking for co-conspirators during mealtimes is a source of great ire for your father."

"How come you don't stop him, then?"

Mr. Spock's left eyebrow goes up. "I have found it far simpler to accept the Captain's proclivities than to try to correct them." He pauses before inquiring, "What method would you suggest I utilize?"

She lets her eyes grow large and her lower lip wobble.

Taken aback, Mr. Spock speaks quickly. "Have I hurt you, Joanna?"

She beams. "No, sir. It's called the 'puppy dog' face. See, I'll show you it again!" She does. "This is what you do when you want Captain Jim to behave."

The Vulcan stares. "I... see. I am not capable of that, I fear."

"Try it."

"Miss McCoy..."

She gives him her best puppy dog face. 

For a moment, Mr. Spock looks like he has bitten into something sour. Then, gradually, his facial muscles soften. His lower lip protrudes ever-so-slightly, and his eyes widen the tiniest bit.

Joanna sighs. "You look like a sad hedgehog, not a puppy."

"Is the difference significant?"

"Vastly." She pats just above the cuff of his blue sleeve. "That's okay. You did your best. I'll think of something else."

Spock's expression returns to normal.

Their third companion shows up just then, placing one fully laden tray on the table. "Spock looks relieved. JoJo, what were you doing to my First Officer?"

Joanna lifts her chin. "I was only teaching him a trick, Captain."

Jim looks like he wants to ask what that trick is, but just then someone approaches their table and softly clears her throat. 

Jim turns around. "Yes?"

"I apologize for the interruption, sir. A time-sensitive communiqué arrived at oh-eight-hundred from Starfleet Command with your immediate attention requested."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Jim turns back to push the tray towards Joanna. "Spock, could you—?"

"Of course," Spock replies before Jim can finish speaking.

"JoJo, I'll leave you in Mr. Spock's hands. See you later, okay? We'll play Galactic Pirates."

"That game is so old," the girl mutters. "Bye, Captain Jim!" 

Once the man is out of sight, she props her elbows on the table and eyes her companion gravely. "Don't you worry about him, Mr. Spock?"

"I presume you are referring to Captain Kirk."

"It's his vacation and he still doesn't get to have breakfast. My dad says that he skips meals too, sometimes, just because he's so busy with his duties. Doesn't that worry you?"

Spock regards her just as seriously as she regards him. "The captain of this ship is my responsibility, Miss McCoy. I am deeply aware of when and how to care for his well-being."

"But you can't worry about Captain Jim solely because it's your job, otherwise you shouldn't call yourself his friend."

Spock's mouth twitches. "You sound very much like your father."

She wrinkles her nose, not certain if she should consider that a compliment. "All I'm saying is, can I trust you to look after him or not?"

"Affirmative."

"Promise?"

"The word of a Vulcan is his bond."

She holds her breath momentarily as though still unconvinced before adding, "Promise to look after my dad too?"

Spock's eyebrows go up. "Dr. McCoy does _not_ fall within the purview of my duties, Miss McCoy."

She pokes her bottom lip out. "But you said you're his friend!"

"Did I?"

" _Mr. Spock_ ," she whines.

"Very well. For your sake, I shall henceforth consider your father as an extension of the captain—although I must add that you have made the task much more complex."

"Aw," the girl says, "I think you can handle it."

Spock does not sound as convinced. "That remains to be seen, Miss McCoy."

There is nothing else that she needs to say for the moment. Joanna picks up her fork and begins to eat her breakfast. The silence between her and Mr. Spock grows comfortable, and they finish their meals.

~~~

The lower decks closest to the warp core are packed with supplies and worker bots. A trail of them leads to Engineering. Joanna pokes her head into a familiar workspace.

The Head of the department swivels around in his chair to greet her. "Ah, you're back, lass. Everyone busy?"

"Everyone but you, Mr. Scott."

He regards her over the top of a technical manual. "I always have things to do."

She looks to a small humanoid also in the room called Keenser, who is shaking his head. "Mr. Keenser doesn't think so."

"What do you know!" the engineer tosses hotly over his shoulder at the Roylan. "You've been sorting the same dilithium samples for two weeks!""

With a grunt, Keenser presents his back to the pair of humans.

Joanna hops up onto a stool and inspects the various gadgets on Mr. Scott's desk. "Can I ask you a question?"

He eyes her warily. "It doesn't have to do with your dad, Captain Kirk, or Mr. Spock, does it?"

She shrugs.

"Because I don't know anything," Scotty adds quickly, "and I'm not one to gossip."

When she sniffles, a pregnant pause ensues.

The man sighs. "Oh, lass, nae the Puppy Dog Eyes."

"It's only a little question, Mr. Scott."

"Only a little one?"

She promises.

"A'right, ask." But as he says this, he mutters something about regret under his breath.

She starts to swing her legs back and forth. "What's it like to be in love?"

Mr. Scott gapes at her for a long minute.

She tries again. "Are there symptoms?"

"I dinnae think I'm the right person to have this conversation with you. Maybe your Dad—"

The girl rolls her eyes. "I'm not asking about sex, Mr. Scott." She takes pity on him when he grows pale. "I know about that stuff anyway." She says determinedly, "I want to know about love. How did you know you were in love with Miss Uhura?"

Mr. Scott coughs and swears, looking around hastily, no doubt to determine if Keenser is listening. "I'm not! I'm not, er, in _love_ with anybody. Nope!"

Joanna reaches over, plucks away his tech manual and bops him with it, which shocks the man into silence.

"Now," she says, "if you're done panicking, I want an answer—or I'll tell Dad about that time you got my fruit juice mixed up with your whiskey and I almost got drunk."

Scotty gasps. "That was an accident!"

"Daddy will still kill you... _if_ Captain Jim doesn't put you out an airlock first, and that's _if_ Mr. Spock doesn't get to you before either of them do."

She can tell that his whimper of fear isn't at all feigned. 

"It's okay, Mr. Scott, I don't want you to end up like a pretzel man. We can strike a deal. Tell me about being lovesick, and I'll forget I ever had that drink."

"It's a lot like I'm feeling right now, lass. Sick, that is." He holds up his hands. "Sweaty palms, racing heart. Sometimes the woman says a simple sentence to me 'n I get tongue-tied."

Joanna nods, pulling out a small pocket-sized padd to take notes. "What else?"

"I, uh, trip a lot."

"Loss of coordination. Got it."

"And I'll forget what I was doing or was going to do."

"Loss of focus. Keep going. This helps."

Scotty laughs nervously. "Did I mention that I feel sick?"

"Yup." She stares him down. "There has to be something else, though. I'm no expert but these symptoms sound kinda amateurish."

"So, something distinctive that _only_ a person in love would feel?"

Joanna nods.

The engineer blows out a breath, then another. "A'right. I'm—" He looks around warily before leaning in to whisper the rest. "—happy when she's happy and sad when she's sad. Mostly I just want to hold her in either case. You know, until all the bad things go away or so we can share the good things." He rubs his nose with the back of his hand. "That's sappy, aye?"

Joanna reaches over the table to hug him. "That's really sweet, Mr. Scott. Thank you." 

He awkwardly pats her back.

She releases him and asks, "Are you certain that I can't tell Miss Uhura?"

His hands go up and frantically wave at her. "No, no, no! That'd be bad, lass, really bad. I could never show my face on the Bridge again!"

Joanna cocks her head. "Then I leave it all up to you." She sits back, tucking her data padd away. "I'm glad we had this talk."

Scotty sinks into his chair in relief. "Can't we focus on things that don't make me feel like I'm in a Klingon interrogation room?"

Joanna perks up. "Have you been in one?"

"Well... there was this time..."

And so the man and child move on to less scarier topics than love.

~~~

Somehow time has sped up, with the chronometer clicking away the minutes faster than ever. That is, to someone who is impatient to be elsewhere, it seems that way.

"Are you sure you aren't tired of Jim and Spock yet?" Leonard McCoy asks his daughter while he carefully braids her hair.

"Why would I be?" the girl responds, trying her utmost not to fidget. "Can't you go faster? We're going to be late."

"They won't start without us," her father responds mildly. "Hold still. You fidget worse than Jim before an away mission. I don't want to have to start over."

She plucks at the hem of her dress. It's the only dress she packed, which her mother said she should reserve for special occasions. She considers this upcoming event to be a special occasion. Her excitement about it stems from many reasons.

"Are your palms sweaty?" Joanna blurts out since her mind has strayed back to an earlier conversation that day.

Leonard sounds bemused. "No. Why?"

"Oh." She feels a tinge of disappointment but perks up at the thought that maybe her inquiry is somewhat premature. She should wait until just the right moment.

Her father finishes tying a white ribbon into a bow at the end of her hair and gives the long braid a tug. "All done," he announces.

She leaps off the bed and runs for the outer door. 

"Jo!" Leonard calls to her. "Wait for me!"

A moment later Joanna runs back into the room, grabs his hand, and drags him along. He sputters all the way into the corridor and to the turbolift.

~~~

The hall outside the Observation Deck is well-lit, as is the main lobby. Within, however, the ambience is more subdued, cast in semi-shadow. Many visitors feel that it holds an air of anticipation. Others find it calming.

"We're here!" the girl-child cries, skipping inside without either of these thoughts. One of her hands brushes past a replica of a naval steering wheel. "Captain Jim! Mr. Spock!"

The pair of men turn as one to greet her. Jim uncrosses his arms and opens them wide. Joanna accepts this invitation by throwing herself at him. He hugs her tight, tries to pick her up, and groans loudly. 

"How much did you eat today, JoJo?" he jokes. "Oh, my back!"

Joanna pushes him away and wrinkles her nose. "You're just weak. I bet Mr. Spock could lift me with one arm."

"No, Joanna," her father interjects quickly when she turns to Mr. Spock with an expectant look. "Spock, a regular hug will do just fine. I'm not hauling any one of you to Sickbay because of a dare from a pre-teen."

"Bones, you're such a buzz kill."

"Dr. McCoy, I had no intention of indulging your daughter's whim. I was merely going to agree that, yes, I am capable of lifting her with one arm."

Both Joanna and Jim snicker. Leonard rolls his eyes.

Joanna decides to take pity on her father and goes to him, linking her left arm through his right. He escorts her to the railing at the edge of the platform.

"Can we see the stars now, Captain Jim?" she asks sweetly.

Jim gives a slight nod and addresses the ship's computer with a set of instructions. The darkened tint of the windowpanes lighten until the observers have a clear look of what lies in space just beyond the ship: Earth and, beyond Earth, the moon. Then the view dissolves into a different image altogether.

Spock steps up to Joanna's right. "This is a recording of a stellar nursery, which as you may know is a nebula containing many stars in the process of being formed. We charted it during the eighth month of this past year in the Panak sector."

Jim moves to Leonard's left side and lays a hand on the man's shoulder. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"I won't disagree," Leonard murmurs.

Joanna looks across her father to Kirk. "Space is always lovely, Captain Jim. And deadly too!"

He smiles. "Spoken like a true McCoy."

She returns her gaze to the stars. "But I think it's part of who we are so, good or bad, we have to explore it."

"Well said, Miss McCoy."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock."

Leonard squeezes her arm. 

Joanna, suddenly reminded of her mission, checks his palm. She frowns upon finding the skin to be dry. 

Likely thinking that his child is returning his affectionate gesture, her father gives her another pat on the arm.

Still frowning, Joanna turns her head to peer into her father's face. His eyes do not look dilated, so maybe his heart isn't racing. She unhooks their arms and tries to find his pulse.

"What are you doing, Jo?" Leonard asks her.

"Nothing," she replies distractedly, unable to count his heartbeat. There doesn't seem to be one. Her fingers must be too high. She changes her grip.

Leonard shifts to the side and pulls her hand away, then repositions it on his wrist. He says, "The radial artery runs between the bone and the tendon. Your fingers go here, see? On the thumb side. Now press down—don't worry, you can do it little harder than that. Do you feel my pulse?"

"Yeah."

"It's important to distinguish between how long you are counting and what you're counting. You don't want to confuse yourself. Here's a trick..."

He goes on to show her the trick, the proper way to count the heartbeats, and what would be a normal range for a human. After a few tries, her father declares her proficient enough at taking a pulse. 

Jim and Spock have been watching her lesson curiously without interrupting. Joanna moves over to Jim, and he offers his wrist. She declares his heart rate to be too slow.

"That's because I am in the zone," Jim replies.

"What zone?" she wants to know.

"It's a saying, little girl."

"Nobody says that, Captain Jim."

"But you see back in the day, even before _my_ day..."

"Enough, Jim," Leonard interrupts.

Joanna takes this as her cue to move over to Mr. Spock. She hesitates. "Can I touch you, Mr. Spock?"

Spock extends his wrist. "You may."

She tries out her newly learned technique, but the number seems way too big. She does it a second time, even double-checks her multiplication. 

"Mr. Spock," she says slowly, relaying the bad news, "I think you're supposed to be dead."

The Vulcan's eyebrows shoot up. Her father barks out a laugh.

She turns to him questioningly.

Leonard reins in his laughter but continues to smile. "Vulcan physiology is vastly different than a human's, Joanna. I had to learn a whole new set of statistics just for Spock." He snorts. "Speaking of, Jim, when do I get my Vulcan physician?"

"I'm working on it, Bones. Most of the experts on New Vulcan don't want to leave the colony for another few years yet. We'll find someone, but you'll have to accept that their experience probably won't qualify them as a Healer by Vulcan standards."

"Fine by me. Any experience is better than no experience."

Spock is of a different opinion. "Your general knowledge has served you sufficiently, Doctor."

But Leonard shakes his head. "By your standards, maybe, but not mine, Spock. I knew my Xenobiology courses were missing something."

"Vulcan law prohibits the sharing of certain... personal information."

"Well, you know what the problem is with that, Spock? I've got a Vulcan Starfleet officer I can't treat because his people think their secrecy is more important than being able to save a life!"

Spock shifts to face Leonard more fully, dark eyes glittering. "Your statement could not be more false."

" _Uh-oh_ ," Jim mouths at Joanna.

"Proof's in the pudding, hobgoblin," Leonard retorts. "Starfleet Medical barely managed to treat the survivors in the aftermath of Nero. Why? Because they had no training on how to stabilize a grieving Vulcan!"

"Such illness has nothing to do with the physical, Dr. McCoy."

"Bullshit! We've got centuries of study to prove that mental trauma can be detrimental to the body—and I was _there_ , Spock. I saw your people, some of them literally just laying down to die. I swear to you I had never felt more helpless in my life."

Joanna recognizes the moment Spock is no longer irritated at her father. It is a subtle change in his posture.

"You did your best, Doctor. In fact, I am confident that you performed beyond your best. Several of our Healers made it known to me that your efforts were appreciated. And it seems that you can be quite persuasive, logically speaking, when you choose to be."

Joanna watches in fascination as her father's face reddens.

"It wasn't anything. I sort of yelled at everyone that the least sensible thing to do was to die when the living needed them more than the dead." He looks sheepish. "Sorry about that. My temper gets the better of me sometimes."

"Yes, I am very familiar with your nature."

Joanna locks her fingers over her belly and smiles serenely at the pair. "I knew y'all liked each other."

Jim turns away quickly to cover up his laugh with a cough.

Joanna continues on. "It doesn't matter that you don't have any symptoms. You're probably in one of the later stages."

"Of what?" her dad asks, clearly perplexed.

Jim looks around. "Wait, are we sick?"

"The best kind of sick," Joanna answers, and then giggles.

She takes a hold of the railing and points at a cluster of bluish twinkling stars. "What's that?"

Spock answers her right away.

From the corner of her eye, Joanna watches Jim poke her father in the side. 

"Bones, what's she talking about?"

"Beats me, kid."

"I need to know if I have a disease."

"The only disease you've got is moron-itis."

"Oh, that. I've had worse."

"Infant."

"Old man."

"Miss McCoy?" 

Joanna turns to Mr. Spock. 

"Is all well?" the Vulcan wants to know.

She nods. "Yes, sir, everything's nearly perfect."

He cocks one eyebrow. "Nearly?"

"I have one last condition to test in my hypothesis, but all the others have proven true so far."

"Someone once shared with me one of your human customs which I believe is meant to be encouraging. As it seems appropriate now, I will say 'good luck'."

"Thank you." Joanna beams. "You're just so nice, Mr. Spock. It's why I picked you."

It seems that he knows better than to ask after her meaning. He only says, "I am honored to be chosen."

Joanna has no doubt that the words are sincere. She turns back to the recording on the panes. "Tell me more about baby nebulae. How come that isn't in my school books?"

"Strange. The subject has been part of the Vulcan curriculum for a decade at minimum. Perhaps, as most of the nurseries have been discovered by Vulcan science vessels, it has yet to be studied in depth by the other institutions. This is something to ruminate upon and, given the opportunity, to address with my father. When do you depart the Enterprise, Miss McCoy?"

"In two days."

"If it is amenable to you, I would like to schedule with you a time to go over other charted anomalies which I suspect you may not be aware of. This will help elucidate the disparity in our educations."

She bounces on the balls of her feet. "Sure thing." Her eyes light up. "We can have a sleepover and talk about science and eat ice cream!"

Jim joins the conversation. "Did someone say sleepover? And ice cream?"

"Joanna..." her father starts to say in a tone of voice that means he isn't agreeable to the idea.

Together Jim, Joanna, and Spock face Leonard.

"Joanna, I don't think..." the man tries to say again but stops.

They continue to look at him.

"Crap," he says. "It's bad enough with you two, but who taught Spock the Puppy Dog face?"

Jim and Joanna high-five.

Spock schools his features into something more appropriately Vulcan. "Do we have your permission, then, Dr. McCoy?"

Joanna's father mutters his answer but it's definitely a positive sign. In that moment, Joanna couldn't be prouder of her soon-to-be family. They make the best team. 

She offers Jim a hug and then tucks into Spock, laying her head against his side. To her surprise, she can hear his heart beating. She may just lean into him more often, for the sound comforts her. He doesn't appear to mind, as his hand comes to rest lightly on her shoulder.

With the strangest look on his face, Leonard says, "This was a good idea."

"Mmhm," his child agrees. "I'm very happy."

It may be a trick of the starlight but her father's eyes glint for the briefest of moments. His head turns away. "All right. Sleepover it is."

Knowing that she won is the final piece to the girl's contentment. By the end of the sleepover, she truly believes her dad will be convinced that Jim and Spock are excellent life partners.

It's simply a matter of time.


	3. Part Three

Joanna doesn't know why she didn't think of this idea sooner. A sleepover is the best kind of test and, in her experience, exactly what is required for secrets to become known. During a sleepover when she was nine, she learned that a boy named Danny was enamored with her. That didn't work out, of course, because Danny also had a habit of liking every girl he thought had pretty hair; plus he was a whole two years younger and she didn't have time for younger boyfriends. They're a lot of work.

But it wouldn't be a problem for her father. He is older, by far, than Captain Jim and Mr. Spock and seems to have a good handle on how to deal with them. She thinks it is because he is more mature.

Although, to be fair, Mr. Spock acts very mature for his age. That may just be his reserved Vulcan nature.

"JoJo!"

The man who plops down next to Joanna is the one her father regularly calls an infant. At present, he is grinning like a child closer to her age who is very proud of himself for whatever secret thing he has just done.

Joanna cannot help but grin back. She pokes at the sack in his right hand. "What's in there?"

Jim gives the bag a little shake. "Goodies," he claims. "You can't have a sleepover without goodies!"

Her eyes start to twinkle just the way that his eyes are twinkling. She whispers, "You'll have to hide it under the bed before Dad sees it."

Jim whispers back, "We can open it once he's asleep."

That's a good idea. Her dad may be more mature because of his advanced age but that also means he has to sleep earlier.

Joanna jerks her head up guiltily when said parent calls her name from the other room. "Quickly," she urges Captain Jim, "hide the goodies!"

Jim wiggles out from under the bed just in time to look innocent as Leonard enters the bedroom.

The man observes them suspiciously. "What are y'all up to?"

Joanna grabs Jim by the arm and viciously pinches the back of his neck. He yelps.

"Practicin'," the girl declares. "I want to learn the Vulcan Nerve Pinch." She pinches Captain Jim again.

Eyes watering, Jim makes a noise between a laugh and a whimper, like he approves of her thinking fast on her feet but doesn't understand how this translates into him being the victim.

Joanna's father huffs and says, "Jo, quit terrorizing my captain—and besides, you have to do it between the neck and shoulder."

"Oh, thanks," she replies.

Jim scrambles away after the child pinches him again, this time in the proper place, though sadly it still does not have the desired effect of rendering him unconscious. With a hand to his neck, he mutters, "I'm going to find Spock."

"You do that," Leonard answers mildly, watching Jim leave.

Joanna comes to her feet and brushes down her overalls with dainty motions. "Dad," she says in her best offhanded manner, "this sleepover is important. You know that, don't you?"

"It's a headache, that's what it is." But then her father asks, "Why's tonight important, Jo?"

"For reasons."

The man sighs. "Reasons which cannot currently be explained? Joanna, sweetheart, if you want something from me, you have to give me something to work with first. I'm a doctor, not a psychic."

"But then the results would be biased."

"Is everything an experiment to you?"

She widens her eyes. "I would never experiment on you, Daddy."

"And I'm secretly an Andorian." He crosses his arms with a frown. "No, what's going on here is obvious."

This time her surprise isn't feigned. "It is?"

"Painfully so." Leonard's frown transforms into a scowl. "I let you follow Spock around too much. He's turned you into a miniature version of himself."

Joanna claps her hands delightedly and bounces up and down. "Do you think he could really do that? I wanna be Vulcan!"

Her father mutters an oath under his breath and turns away. "Just... spare me the 'it is logical' arguments for the night."

"That sounds logical."

Joanna laughs to herself as her father stalks away.

~~~

The first order of business, Joanna McCoy declares upon Mr. Spock's arrival, is to play a game.

"Chess!" Jim votes. 

Both McCoys veto that with a firm _no_.

"You and I shall play chess another time," Mr. Spock comforts the crestfallen Jim.

"I'm thinking something more... physical," Joanna tells her sleepover buddies, the look on her face shrewd for an eleven year-old. "Have you ever heard of Twister?"

Jim scratches his chin. "I think I played that once. It's a serious challenge when you're drunk."

"This is an alcohol-free party," Leonard inserts a bit sharply.

Jim lifts his hands in a placating manner. "Of course it is, Bones."

"It's more challenging when you have a lot of people, Captain Jim."

"But I'll still win," replies Jim. He cracks his knuckles. "I am very flexible."

Mr. Spock looks as alarmed as a Vulcan can. "What is the nature of this game?"

Joanna sidles up to him and presents her sweetest face. "You'll play with us, won't you, Mr. Spock?"

"Please explain the nature of Twister," Spock requests again.

"We'll have to touch each other," her father replies, for once surprising his daughter that he would undermine her efforts to entice a reluctant player.

But Joanna is nothing if not determined. She lays a calming hand on Spock's blue-clad arm. "It's like a puzzle with body parts, and it is a very good way to practice coordination and balance."

Jim stage-whispers to Leonard, "She's going to win this argument."

Leonard pinches Jim between his neck and shoulder. Kirk scuttles away, putting himself far out of reach of a second attack.

Spock looks from Joanna to Leonard and back again. "Is... Twister a typical activity for a sleepover?" he asks hesitantly.

"Yes," Joanna confirms. Her expression dares her father to say otherwise.

Leonard sighs through his nose. "I suppose. For stubborn children," he adds in a mutter.

Spock holds his hands behind his back. "Then I will participate." He looks to Joanna. "Vulcan children do not commonly spend time in each other's company outside of the education halls, but I have heard this is different among young humans. You must forgive me for having little experience with social functions such as 'sleepovers'. I attempted some research after accepting your invitation; however, I believe it would be best to follow your example. If this game which requires bodily contact is what you wish to play, then I shall try it." 

"We'll be mindful of your hands," Joanna says, touched by his trust in her.

"I would appreciate that."

Joanna turns to the other two adults in the room. "Captain Jim, activate the hologram."

Jim salutes her with an "Aye, Captain McCoy!"

"Daddy," she says to her parent, "try not to dishonor the House of McCoy."

Leonard is indignant. "Says who?"

She sticks her hands on her hips. "Me—the future matriarch of our family."

"I should've never had children."

"You didn't," she reminds him. "You had just the one." The child in question claps her hands. "Chop chop, everyone! Let the games begin!"

"This is ominous," she hears her father say to Mr. Spock.

"In what regard, Dr. McCoy?"

"I don't know, but I might need you to help me figure it out."

"As always, Doctor, your ambiguity leaves me at a loss to form a sensible reply."

"Oh, forget it, you pointy-eared hobgoblin!"

Her father stomps away. 

Joanna works hard to suppress a smile. Things are going beautifully so far!

~~~

"I do not bend this way."

"Try anyway."

"Captain," the Vulcan reiterates, sounding surprisingly peeved, "I am informing you that my leg will not bend as you have requested."

"I need to reach that color, Spock!"

"Sir, if you will tell Dr. McCoy to shift his left arm sixth-tenths of a meter to his right, then flip himself over to face the ceiling—"

"Now wait a minute! Flip what where!"

"—rather than harass me to perform the impossible, you will then be able to place your foot on the color you so desperately wish to reach."

Joanna, having lost early on in the game (quite by design) and relegated herself to the audience, covers her mouth upon spying her father's incredulous expression. She may be secretly snapping pictures of three arguing men with her data padd. They seem to have forgotten her in their effort to stay focused on the game.

"Bones..."

"No, I am not moving. It's not my turn. And get your elbow out of my crotch, Jim! I thought you said you're flexible."

"I could have sworn I was but I wasn't exactly sober at the time, okay?"

Sweat drips off Jim's face but that is likely due to the strain of maintaining his position as opposed to any lovesickness he might be feeling. 

Jim confirms this suspicion when he complains, "My arms are burning. Spock, can I just...?" He shifts his weight.

"Hold it!" Joanna barks out. "You can't lay on Mr. Spock, Captain Jim! That's cheating!"

Jim grunts and returns to his awkward version of a three-legged downward dog.

"I hate this game," gripes Leonard.

"Captain, if your hand is now secure, I will take my turn. Computer, spin the wheel."

" _Wheel spinning. Left hand, color yellow._ "

Jim and Leonard simultaneously groan. There is only one free yellow square. Spock does not move to it immediately.

"Just do it," Leonard says.

"Doctor, if you are so capable, a moment of silence would be welcome while I consider my options."

Joanna places the soles of her feet together and wraps her hands around them, patiently waiting to see what will happen next.

The longer Spock takes to think, the more pronounced the trembling in Jim's arms becomes.

"Christ, kid," her father mutters, "go ahead and lean on me."

"Can't," croaks the other man.

"Who cares about the rules! At this point if you collapse, we all do!"

"In this instance," decides Joanna, having nominated herself as the referee, "I will allow it."

"Interesting," is Spock's comment. "Why the distinction between myself and Dr. McCoy?"

"Because Vulcans are naturally stronger," Joanna replies, "therefore Captain Jim would have an unfair advantage if you supported his weight, which would barely stress your system. But my father will have to work harder to win." She thinks this is a very logical answer.

Spock appears to agree. "Your logic is sound, Miss McCoy."

"Stop turning my kid into a Vulcan, Spock!"

"However your logical suppositions require more work, Doctor."

"When I get my hands on you..."

"Highly unlikely. You will be occupied for some time with the Captain."

Jim, who has somehow finagled his free leg into a hook around one of McCoy's arms, is using Leonard like a kickstand. "Bones, I have an idea."

"No, no, and no. I regret my kindness already."

"I will make my move now," announces Mr. Spock over the noise of his companion's complaining. "I feel I must warn you that the three of us will become uncomfortably close."

"God help me, it can get worse."

Jim braces himself. "Ready when you are, Spock."

Joanna rocks forward in anticipation.

The Vulcan lifts up his left hand and delicately slides it between the narrow space of the other two bodies. He then twists his arm sideways, places his palm down on the yellow square directly under Leonard's belly, and lowers his elbow until it hovers barely two inches above the mat. In doing so, his upper torso has disappeared completely, blocked from view by Jim and Leonard. There is a complete minute of silence following this new position.

Joanna takes picture after picture.

Jim breaks the silence by quipping, "How's it hanging down there, Mr. Spock?"

Leonard curses, along with what sounds partly like his rumble of a laugh, and the man's body quivers, causing one of his palms to slip out of place. Jim's leg goes with him, then Jim does too, overbalancing, and all that Joanna hears of Mr. Spock is a muffled squawk as all three men collapse in a tangle of limbs.

Joanna has never seen a squashed Vulcan before. It's hilarious. She can't contain her laughter.

It's even funnier that the adults can't sort themselves out.

Finally Captain Jim goes limp and starts chuckling too.

Her father, although he isn't laughing, gives one of those tiny smiles that means he can appreciate the joke.

Spock pleads from the bottom of the pile, "I am not comfortable."

Leonard smirks, then, and moves one of his arms.

The Vulcan makes a gasp of surprise that registers with every pair of human ears in the room.

"Whoops," says the doctor innocently, "was that you, Spock?"

"Dr. McCoy, please desist!"

"Jim, I think your stodgy ol' Vulcan is ticklish."

Jim's head comes up, eyes gleaming. "Really?"

"Yay!" cries Joanna, leaping to her feet. "Tickle war!" Her first attack is on Jim.

Any protests go unheeded. 

A few minutes of chaotic tickling come to an end with a dazed-looking Vulcan crawling to a safe distance and Joanna flopping facedown across both Jim and Leonard. 

"I win!" she says triumphantly, nearly out of breath.

An arm goes around her back, hugging her close. She thinks it is Jim's.

"You did, Joanna—you did."

Her father's head comes up off the floor. "Where'd Spock go?"

"Here," comes a slightly hoarse voice.

Joanna cranes her neck around and gasps when she sees what her beloved Mr. Spock is doing. "Don't delete my pictures!"

The Vulcan's fingers hover over the screen of her data padd. 

"I am not," Spock assures her after a moment. "I was merely... perusing."

"Oh, no," Joanna's father groans. "Why'd you have to take pictures, Jo?"

Jim is of a different opinion. "I want all of them framed. And used as the screensaver on the Bridge."

Spock appears to be rethinking his decision to allow Joanna's photos to remain in existence.

"We need the memories," the girl argues back. "I don't want to ever forget this."

"Your sentiment is commendable, Miss McCoy." Spock gently places the padd on the floor in the same spot that he had found it. In the next instant, he rises to his feet, seeming just as composed as he always does despite his mussed hair.

Joanna has this sudden fear that he no longer wants to be part of their sleepover. "Are you leaving?" she asks him.

Jim shifts Joanna towards McCoy and sits up, the same question in his voice. "Spock?"

"Negative. I merely wish to use the facilities." Having said this, Spock disappears towards the bathroom that Joanna knows is shared jointly between the Captain and First Officer.

Leonard gives her a little push and she climbs off his midsection. He then sits up like Jim and puts an arm around her shoulders. She doesn't miss the way his other arm goes around Jim.

"Give 'im a minute to collect himself," Leonard tells them. "To a Vulcan, we must be acting positively unhinged. Besides," her father adds a little more softly, "family means a great deal to Spock too."

Joanna turns around to hug her father because sometimes a hug is better than words. He kisses the top of her head.

Jim draws a knee to his chest. "Now I feel bad," the man admits.

"About what?" asks Leonard.

"Hiding the goodies from you, Bones."

Aghast to hear this secret revealed, Joanna's head jerks up. "Captain Jim!"

The corner of Captain Jim's mouth lifts. "Oops. Did I say that out loud?"

Her father's eyes narrow. "What goodies?"

"Oh, you know... sleepover snacks."

"I already approved our meal cards for the night, Captain!"

"Yeah but do they include off-world delicacies such as Tellarite Sugar Bombs and Antellan Fried Gummies?"

Seeing a vein in her father's head begin to throb, Joanna scrambles out of his lap. When he lights into Jim with a rant, Jim gives her a subtle shooing motion, so the girl hurries into the bedroom to save their special treats before they become confiscated. Mr. Spock is coming out of the bathroom at the same time she retrieves the bag. 

She shoves it into his arms, ordering, "Hide this!"

The Vulcan raises one eyebrow, then looks over her shoulder toward the very distinctive sound of her father yelling in the adjoining cabin. With nary a word, he turns around and heads back to his room.

Joanna breathes a sigh of relief.

Disaster averted.

~~~

After an hour of dinner and idle chat, Joanna folds her hands over her slightly protruding belly and gazes serenely upon her companions. Her father will claim it is bedtime soon but she knows how to prolong that.

She is ready to announce the next item on their itinerary. "I want story time."

"Great idea, JoJo."

"Thanks, Captain Jim. All my ideas are good." 

"Will we read a story?" Spock questions, clearly uncertain if this is what she means.

"We could," the child agrees, "but I think it would be better if we told stories that we heard."

"Or made up," mutters her father, not so subtly eyeing his captain.

Mr. Spock still requires further clarification. "And what would be the content of these stories?"

"Anything you want," Joanna tells him.

"Rated for the hearing of children only," Leonard insists.

"Bones, I feel like that comment was meant for me."

"I'm shocked, Jim. You're not so slow after all."

"Daddy, play nice."

Her father crosses his arms. "Says who? The future matriarch of the McCoys?"

"No. Captain Jim's friend."

Jim's sign of approval is a thumbs-up.

"I give up," Leonard complains. "I'm outgunned two to one. Whatever happened to my sweet little girl?"

"I believe the answer is that she became like her father."

"Spock, I'm about two seconds away from wringing your scrawny green neck."

Spock blinks. "Two seconds have passed."

"Well," Jim says, standing up to draw attention before Leonard can leap out of his chair and make good on his promise to murder Spock, "on that note, I say we start the campfire tales."

Joanna puts her finger against her mouth. "But first we need a campfire."

" _No_ ," Leonard and Spock echo together.

Joanna and Jim look affronted.

"Relax," Jim assures them, "I would never condone a real fire on my beautiful starship. But, in lieu of that..." He calls to the ship's computer and relays a command.

The opaque wall opposite them wavers and transforms into a projection of a wall of a log cabin, complete with a mantelpiece over a fireplace and an inviting fire within. Joanna laughs in delight, drags a blanket and pillows off the nearby couch and sits in front of the simulation. The others follow her more slowly, arranging themselves at leisure on the floor or in chairs.

"What kind of story should we hear first?" Joanna asks.

Next to her, Jim grins. "A ghost story."

"No," Leonard and Spock echo together again.

Jim gives the pair a look that Joanna cannot interpret. "I can tolerate a ghost story."

Mr. Spock's voice is dryly amused as he answers, "Captain, with all due respect, you cannot."

"You know how I hate to agree with Spock, Jim, but there it is. Joanna, let's skip the scary stories for now, all right? Jim is a sensitive spirit, no pun intended."

"Lies!" exclaims the captain. "Slander!"

"Should I recite examples?" Spock replies mildly.

Jim's protest peters out. 

Joanna pats his leg in sympathy. "I'm afraid of ghosts too, Captain Jim."

The man doesn't answer her directly, just mutters under his breath.

Leonard deftly switches the subject with "I seem to recall that part of this sleepover was supposed to involve science."

Joanna perks up. "Oh yeah, I forgot!"

The doctor says, not quite directing his gaze in Spock's direction, "Maybe our Science Officer has an interesting tale or two to share."

"Why, thank you, Dr. McCoy. I believe I do."

Joanna settles into her blanket—and offers Captain Jim a portion of it, too, of course—as Mr. Spock folds his hands in his lap and begins to recall an encounter with a species known as Tribbles. Apparently they are the much-despised enemies of Klingons, despite being impossibly cute lumps of cooing fur.

This is an experience all three men share, Joanna realizes as Captain Jim chimes in with a colorful anecdote and her father adds the occasional sarcastic remark or medical tidbit. They have done so many things together, traveled to many places, had exciting or dangerous adventures side by side. 

When Spock gets to the part where his captain becomes buried under a mound of tribbles, he expresses the scene in such a deadpan way that Joanna has no hardship imagining Captain Jim stuck helplessly in something akin to a ball pit. She laughs gleefully. Then it is explained that the tribbles have been poisoned and are all dead, and she cries.

Her tears are short-lived because Jim rubs her back and Mr. Spock's story carries on to a happy ending. 

"What's next?" she wants to know, wiping at her eyes.

"Can I tell one now, Bones?"

"Why do you act like I have the ability to stop you?"

Jim folds his arms, preening as any person who perceives himself to be a great storymaster would, and starts the next tale.

Mr. Spock quietly leaves the circle but only for a short period of time in which he returns with the bag of prohibited snacks he had hidden upon Joanna's request. He passes the bag to Joanna and, to her delight, her father pretends to be oblivious to the tasty-looking treats that she pulls out one by one. It is only when Jim pauses in speaking to reach for one of the treats that the doctor snaps, "Story, Jim!"

Jim gives Joanna a sardonic look before tucking his hands away in his lap and resuming where he left off. Yet, he does not appear at all upset to be denied his sweets. 

In that moment Joanna figures out the goodies are a gift just for her. His purpose in pretending to want them is to deflect her father's ire so that she can have them freely.

She feels that she couldn't love Captain Jim more, the same way she feels for Mr. Spock.

The same way she loves her father.

If they could have a sleepover forever or an endless amount of time to spend as a family, that would make her happiest. Only, she knows she cannot tell her father this. Contrary to all the fairy tales she has read and loved, life is nothing so sweet. 

The clock is ticking. Before she says goodbye and returns to Earth, she has to be assured of one thing: that Captain Jim and Mr. Spock are always with her father, and that her father is always with them. In less than ten years, she can enter Starfleet with their encouragement. She can have them all at her graduation. Her wedding. The day she has a child of her own.

It isn't because she selfishly wants three fathers. She just knows with her child's heart that it would all work out. Even now, her father's eyes hold only a hint of the sadness they used to have. He laughs with Jim and picks at Spock, then he picks at Jim and laughs for Spock. And he rubs the edge of Granny McCoy's ring just the way he used to when—

The girl's eyes widen. Her mouth opens.

That's it!

A buzz of excitement runs through her.

_That's it!_

She has found her father's symptom at last!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot seem to wrap up this story! I apologize.
> 
> Also, as fascinating as the Rebooted version of "The Trouble with Tribbles" in the Ongoing comic series is, I will always have a soft spot for the original version. ;)


	4. Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I am a liar. I honestly thought I could finish this story today but the ending wouldn't come as quickly as I saw it in my head. So, that said, I decided to remove a few scenes and save them for the last part - and yes it will be the final one! We are close now, but let's savor what we have (or cry over it) before we get to the official ending. :) Thank you for your patience.

Joanna vetoes the sleeping bags because of their self-confining nature. When their alternative, the sleeping mats, are unrolled, she takes immediate possession of them. 

"This is the important part," she says as she puts each mat into position, "so pay attention."

Of the three others present, Captain Jim is the one who nods, moving to the front of the group to watch closely.

"Jo, what're you doing?"

Joanna ignores her father. "Sleepovers mean we sleep _together_." She pushes two mats toward each other until their edges are flush. "See?"

Her father's eyebrows come down. "I've never heard of that rule."

"Together," Jim repeats earnestly.

Joanna nods appreciatively at the only one who gets it (not the one who looks disbelieving or the one who looks confused) and then pushes the next mat into place up against the other two. "If we aren't touching elbows, we aren't close enough."

"Jo."

Joanna still ignores her father. "Sometimes, someone may roll over on you or use you as a pillow. That's okay."

"That's okay?" Jim repeats, as if this is an especially good bit of news for him.

"Yes, Captain Jim. Now..." She shoves the fourth mat against the previous three and beams. "...let's go to sleep! Daddy, you're in the middle."

Her father crosses his arms. "No way. There's a bedroom, Jo. With a _bed_. Two of us will sleep on the bed and two of us can use the floor mats." He cuts a sideways glance at the Vulcan next to him. "Or go back to our quarters."

Joanna puts her foot down, literally, in a stomp. "Daddy, middle, NOW. Captain Jim—" She points to the left side. "—that end."

Captain Jim is quick to obey. He's on the mat and asleep in three seconds, mouth hanging open as he snores.

"Mr. Spock," Joanna says more gently, "you're on the other side of Daddy." She leads the Vulcan by his arm to his assigned section. "I will be on the end next to you."

"Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute," her father butts in, his eyebrows unable to decide if they want to be up or down. "I'm not sleeping next to Spock!"

Joanna purses her mouth. "How rude." She pats Mr. Spock's arm. "Don't mind him. He's so excited that he can barely contain himself."

The doctor sputters. "Like hel—I mean, like heck!"

"We're all very excited," Joanna goes on to say. "This is a momentous occasion for us all."

" _Momentous_ ," echoes Jim halfway through a snore.

Leonard pivots on the ball of his foot and stalks away to the opposite side of the cabin. Then he stalks back. He stops and stares at Joanna.

Having pushed Spock into a sitting position where he is supposed to be, Joanna crosses her arms and meets her father's gaze without shrinking.

"I knew this sleepover was a bad idea," he claims.

Her voice is unusually solicitous for a child's. "Is there something wrong, Daddy? Is your finger bothering you?"

He stills in the act of twisting Granny McCoy's ring on his smallest finger and reluctantly lowers his hands to his sides. "Nothing's wrong..." A twitching muscle in his jaw gives him away. "Except this is not a normal sleepover, Joanna. Why is that?" 

She smiles. "It could hardly be normal, Dad. Y'all are three times my age."

Captain Jim wakes up with a cough-snort. "What? No, JoJo! I'm not that ancient!"

The girl sticks her tongue out at Jim. He blows a raspberry back at her, going so far as to cross his eyes too.

Leonard throws up his hands with the exasperated accusation, "Children, all of you!"

"I have a question."

The humans turn as one to the inquiring Vulcan.

Spock blinks placidly. "Would we not be more comfortable with pillows?"

"Yes, Mr. Spock, thank you!" 

Joanna takes the opportunity to escape to Captain Jim's bedroom. She collects the two pillows from his bed with an exaggerated slowness.

As she had hoped, upon returning to the next room she finds that her father has been coaxed to his designated spot. He doesn't look happy about it, but he's there. She gathers the pillows off the couch too and passes all of them out.

"I don't need one," argues Captain Jim, "since you said I can use Bones as a pillow."

"Just you try it, kid. I've got a knee and I know where to put it."

"Aw, Bones, how cruel you are."

Leonard glares a moment longer at Kirk before switching that glare to his other neighbor. "Keep to your side, Mr. Spock."

"That should be a request I make of you, Dr. McCoy. I have been informed that you have restless limbs."

"Who said that!"

Jim not-so-subtly rolls to his opposite side and pretends to be dead-set on going back to sleep. Joanna's father grips his pillow in his hands like he is thinking of using it to smother somebody.

Quite satisfied, Joanna stretches out next to Mr. Spock and arranges her pillow just how she likes it. Someone had retrieved her blanket from earlier on in the evening and placed it on her mat. Spock waits until she is settled before he tucks it around her. She folds her hands across her chest as she has always imagined that a Vulcan would in repose and closes her eyes to think peaceful thoughts.

It is a few long minutes until the others (namely her father) follow suit.

Captain Jim commands, "Computer, lights ten percent."

The silence is hushed enough to be tense at first but gradually it too settles into something more hospitable. Joanna begins a count in her head, waiting for the right moment to ensure the success of her plan.

~~~

The right moment doesn't come before Joanna drifts off to sleep. She wakes up with an urge to use the bathroom and quietly picks her way across the dark cabin. The chronometer in the bedroom says she has been asleep for over three hours. To her relief, the bed remains unoccupied. When she returns to the outer room, she doesn't lie back down and instead chooses to observe how the others have fared. Captain Jim still has his back to her father, but his breaths come at regular intervals.

Even with his eyes closed, her father wears a deep frown and maintains a strangle hold on his pillow. He looks far from comfortable. She has a moment of guilt, because at least he would be resting easier if she agreed to sleep next to him.

But that would defeat the purpose of her plan—well, as much of her plan as she can enact. It doesn't look like she will be able to arrange any of their limbs around each other.

With that thought, she turns to Mr. Spock, who is still awake. The dim lighting overhead is just enough for Joanna to see him blink every so often. 

No doubt sensing her attention, he turns his head just slightly in her direction. With a voice modulated to a fraction of its normal strength, he remarks, "You are not sufficiently rested."

"I had to use the bathroom," she whispers back.

"Understandable... but now you must resume your sleep."

"I wanted to see if Daddy was snoring."

"If this is his habit, it is fortunate that we have not yet had to endure it."

"Maybe he hasn't been sleeping long enough."

"One hour, twelve minutes, and thirty-three seconds have passed since he fell asleep."

Joanna is pleased that Mr. Spock is keeping track. She pretends to look him over. "Are you are comfortable?"

"I am not uncomfortable."

"Okay." The girl pauses. "Do you want to go back to your room?"

"I was under the impression that you wished for me to stay in this position."

Joanna stays quiet for a few seconds, until something inside her says it is okay to be honest with Mr. Spock. However, she takes the time to phrase her explanation carefully.

"It is logical that you should be close to my father if you wish to remain close to me."

The Vulcan's gaze never wavers. "You are not near your father."

Joanna continues on solemnly, "It is logical for you to be close to Captain Jim if you wish to remain close to me."

Spock's head turns in Jim's direction despite that he is likely to know the exact distance that separates them. When his gaze returns to her, he says, "You offer a proposal, yet the exact nature of it eludes me."

"Well maybe since you aren't sleepy, Mr. Spock, you can meditate on what I might mean." Joanna lays down again, switching from an enigma to a sleepy child with a single yawn. 

"See you in the morning," she concludes.

"Very well."

This time her mind is completely at peace when she falls asleep.

~~~

"JoJo."

Joanna is warm. She has no desire to respond to the call of her name.

But the voice is insistent.

"JoJo-Bear."

The girl pulls her blanket over her head.

"Fascinating."

"Any luck with Bones?"

"He seems to be in the same state."

Joanna hears the slur of her father's voice, muffled by a pillow as he complains, " _Go away._ "

"Yeah," she echoes grumpily, "go away!"

There is a heartbeat of silence, then, "Wait, Spock, they didn't mean that literally!"

Joanna flings back her covers and sits up. Leonard has done the same.

Mr. Spock is standing by their mats, unperturbed, his hands held behind his back. He is not, it seems, intent on leaving the room at all. Captain Jim is a big, fat liar.

Both McCoys glare at him.

Jim lifts Joanna's padd. "Say ' _Jim is the best!_ '" He snaps a picture of their surprised faces.

It takes a moment for what he has done to dawn on them but when it does, Joanna's father surges off his mat with a snarl. His pillow catches Jim upside the head.

"Save my evidence of Bones' bed head!" Jim cries as the padd falls out of his hands.

Spock, nimble as always, catches the device in midair and cradles it behind his back where it is out of danger from the scuffle. He then proceeds to take a long step sideways as Leonard tries to beat Jim to death with a pillow in each hand.

Joanna gets comfy-cozy under her blanket again and closes her eyes.

The sound of Captain Jim and her father locked in battle lulls her back to sleep. She is hardly aware of Mr. Spock adding her father's blanket to hers so that she might return to slumber faster.

~~~

Breakfast is a lonely affair with Leonard desperately wanting his own bathroom and a fresh set of clothes and Joanna refusing to leave the captain's quarters. Jim argues on her behalf, saying that she can stay with him forever. She is appreciative of his dramatic flair.

Her father is forced to leave her behind. Mr. Spock accompanies him into the corridor.

Joanna, having polished off a pair of waffles while lounging on Captain Jim's bed, props up her chin on her fists and takes stock of her surroundings. Captain Jim owns very few trinkets, as her father has a habit of calling objects of sentiment, but the man does have an impressive set of old paperback books. She climbs off the bed and pulls one from the shelf. It's called _A Tale of Two Cities_. She has never read it.

Jim comes out of his bathroom, washed and freshly dressed. He drapes the towel he has been using to dry his hair over her head.

"Ew," she says in disgust, "Captain Germs," shaking the offending thing off.

Jim takes the paperback from her and turns it over in his hand. A moment later, he offers it back with "You would like it."

Joanna tucks the book under her arm for safe-keeping.

They look at each other for a long minute. 

Then Captain Jim says, "Can I ask you a question?"

Joanna nods.

He squats down slightly to her eye level. "Joanna, who do you want me to be closest to? Bones or Spock?"

She is a little surprised by the directness of the question. She starts to tell him _both, silly_ out of an attempt to act playful but doesn't when she recognizes that his inquiry is a serious one. 

It is more appropriate, then, to ask back, "Who do you want to be closest to?"

Jim's gaze skips away, skirts his shelf of books and other areas of the room. For once he looks uncertain, as if he has had this debate with himself often.

"...Both?" the man answers slowly.

It's like having a veil lifted from a scene so that one can finally see what is taking place.

"Your symptoms..." Joanna says, "I couldn't tell if you had any. You hid them really well, Captain Jim."

"Yeah. You could say I've been sick for a long time."

Nothing more is said because nothing more needs to be said. Jim straightens, adopts his usual goofy air and ruffles her hair. Then he tucks his hands behind his back like a proper starship commander and wanders away to the next room.

Joanna decides then and there that Captain Jim must be helped. He is lonelier than her father.

~~~

Joanna returns to her father's quarters with a question on her mind. She finds him sitting in a chair by his bedside with a small personal padd in his hands. Taking a look over his shoulder, she sees a picture from just the night before, one that she took when Captain Jim, Mr. Spock and her father were all staring at each other like they were in silent communication about something. Oddly enough, more than the silly photos, that is her favorite one.

"How'd you get that?" she wants to know.

"Spock... I mean, Mr. Spock just sent over the album."

"Oh. He has my padd."

"Looks like it."

Joanna drops her chin to his shoulder and hugs him from behind. "...Dad?"

He clicks off the padd. "Is something on your mind?"

"Why'd you take back Granny McCoy's ring?"

"Your mother didn't think it was appropriate for her to keep it."

"If you find somebody like Mama found Mr. Treadway, would you give it to that person?"

He pulls her around to face him. "No, Joanna." He removes the ring and holds it out. "This is yours when you want it."

That's not the answer she wants from him. She closes his palm around the ring. "I think you should keep it... just in case."

He snorts. "Listen, sweetheart, I don't plan to marry again."

She _really_ doesn't want to hear that. "But—"

"No 'buts'. I know what I'm talking about. You're still too young. You wouldn't understand."

Her disappointment sparks her temper. "You can't say that! That's not fair!"

"Jo..."

"No." She pulls away from him. "Why do you want to be so miserable? You can't just give up because—"

" _Jo._ "

"—you got divorced! What about Captain Jim and Mr. Sp—" She clams up too late.

Watching the shift in her father's expression, she sees the moment he makes the connection. 

The disbelief in his eyes is horrible.

Joanna can't say anything, not even if she wanted to, for her father blurts out, "Jo, you think—no but how could you believe—My god!" 

He starts to rise from his chair, simultaneously reaching for her. "Joanna, Jim and Spock are my _friends_. There's a huge difference between—"

Her eyes burn. She can't let him finish. "You're wrong!"

"—friends and lovers. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

That apologetic tone is too much. "You're wrong," she repeats. "It's you who doesn't know anything! You love them!" she throws back at him.

With that final accusation, the girl flees.

~~~

"Mr. Scott?"

Mr. Scott's automatic response is a fearful one. "You're back?" 

But when the man in question turns around and takes a good look at his visitor's face, he knows something is wrong.

Joanna McCoy, looking like she is valiantly battling the urge to cry, says in a tiny voice, "Mr. Scott, I think I made an awful mistake."

"Lass, what's the matter?" Scotty crosses his workroom in three strides. "Are you hurt? What happened? Where's your dad?"

As if the simple question is a conjuring trick, the wall comm unit comes alive with the doctor's voice: " _McCoy here. Scotty, is Joanna with you?_ "

The child backs up to the entrance upon hearing that, and the engineer has to think fast. 

He lies, "No, sir, she's not."

Joanna hugs herself but thankfully stays where she is. Unfortunately, she looks so distraught that Scotty's bad feeling increases tenfold.

" _Scotty?_ "

"Have to talk to ye later, Doctor." Scotty ends the call. "Lass, what can I do?"

The girl shakes her head. "I made a mistake," she says again, "and now Captain Jim's going to get hurt because of it. Possibly Mr. Spock too."

Oh, not good. Not good at all. He opens his arms. "Why don't you tell Uncle Scotty about it so he can fix it?"

"You can't fix people, Mr. Scott." A tear slides down her face. "How was I wrong?"

"Joanna," he pleads, "you've got to stop talking in riddles and tell me what you did."

"I didn't do anything," she cries. "That's what's wrong!"

The girl leaves at a faster pace than he can keep up with.

"Oh crap," he tells an empty corridor.

He looks down at the watch on his wrist. It's nearly time. Hitting the nearest comm unit with the side of his fist, he doesn't look forward to explaining to Dr. McCoy that he lied. But no child should be alone when so upset, and especially no child should be alone when a scheduled power outage prevents that child from being found.

~~~

Joanna likes the Jefferies Tubes because the structure is so diverse and confusing. It reminds her of an ant farm, tunnels of varying sizes running the gamut of the engineering decks, each made with purpose to reach all the nooks and crannies of the Enterprise.

Do the Tubes make the engineers feel like little ants? She used to wonder that.

At present, she wants to be one, an ant that is, small enough to disappear off the radar. A while ago, when she stole away into one of the main entry shafts, the emergency lights of the ship came on, giving her pause. Eventually she decided it was one of the re-fit outages Mr. Scott keeps her father apprised of and that nothing so routine should stop her flight. Now she notices that the ship itself is eerily quiet compared to what it normally sounds like, and that makes her shiver.

She definitely feels secluded, which is what she wanted but, on the other hand, now she also feels a little unsafe.

To combat this latter feeling, she climbs and crawls her way to the one of the smallest shafts she can find, perching there like it is a lookout. Once assured that no one is about or following her, she takes the time to inspect her knees, which ache badly. Lifting a pants leg reveals a kneecap to be red and sore to the touch. Now it makes sense why Mr. Scott harps on about wearing protective gear while on repair duty. 

She rubs her throbbing knee and tries to think of a solution to the real problem at hand.

How could her father so easily dismiss her suspicions? Was he wrong, or was she? 

He felt deeply for Captain Jim and Mr. Spock, but he claimed it wasn't love. He treated them like family but not like brothers. 

Mr. Scott said about lovesickness... Wanting to share the happy things and comfort through the bad.

His answer made no sense when they did that for each other! She was certain of it. 

But, despite all the evidence, if she was truly wrong, then she had made herself look like a fool in front of her father. She had made herself seem desperate. Would he ever let her come back to the Enterprise if he thought she only wanted to meddle in his love life?

The thought of not coming back makes her want to cry more than anything. She wipes a few tears off her cheeks and hugs her knees.

Eventually she will have to go back.

But not just yet.

~~~

The reflection of light off the shaft walls is what catches Joanna's attention first. The light is followed by the steady clomp of boots on metal, and soon enough that sound is followed by a person.

The person is calling her name—or rather, one of her nicknames.

Joanna only needs a second to decide what she wants to do. She pokes her head into the sub-level shaft and says, "Up here, Captain!"

The light shines in her eyes, blinding her, until Captain Jim lowers his flashlight and lifts his grave face to hers.

"Hey, JoJo," he says softly.

She cannot tell if he is angry. 

"How'd you find me?" she asks. Her tears have long since dried on her cheeks but her nose has a lingering stuffiness and her voice is full of a child's misery.

The man turns away and sets down his flashlight. He fiddles with a communicator for a moment, then puts it aside too. He leans back against the side of the outer shaft directly in her line of sight and crosses his arms. His expression remains neutral. 

"I liked small places as a kid. High up, too. There was an oak tree on my grandfather's farm I always tried to climb to the very top. It was the best place to go so no one could reach me." He pauses. "Oaks are big trees, do you know that?"

She nods her head yes.

"Strong too, but they get old. Rot, sometimes. Gramps warned me that I was too big to climb it but I didn't care. I was... angry. I'd come back from somewhere, and I hated to be around people and just truly despised everything. So I climbed the tree."

She scrubs the side of her nose with her sleeve. "What happened?"

"Nothing." He smiles a little. "The next day I climbed the tree again. During the night Gramps had put a small bale of hay under the branch I'd been sitting on so I moved to a different spot. He came out, didn't say anything... just got into his tractor and brought another hay bale over to my new spot while I watched. Every day we did this same thing. I sat on a limb over a patch of clear ground, and he covered the patch with hay. We went all the way around the tree."

"But how could you get in the tree if it was surrounded by hay?"

Jim laughs. "I had to do a lot of extra climbing, but we Kirks are very stubborn when we set our minds to something."

Her father would say: "I can believe that."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Joanna slides forward a little. "When did you stop climbing the tree?"

Jim rubs at an elbow. "When I finally fell out of it." He winks at her. "But I landed in that hay."

"Was your grandpa mad?"

"Nope. He just picked me up, brushed me off and said, 'Now you know.'"

"What does that mean?"

"I couldn't figure it out then either." He uncrosses his arms to run the knuckles of one hand over his cheek. "By the time I graduated high school, I thought it meant that you can't expect to stay safe forever, but that's wrong, Joanna. Too simplistic. He meant that it's pointless to hide since someone or something—even an old oak tree—would force me to face the world again. Because he layered the ground with hay in anticipation of that, I wasn't injured. That was his way of showing me that facing the world isn't so bad when you have someone to help you not get hurt again."

Captain Jim's gaze lowers for a moment, perhaps to shade some emotion he doesn't want her to see. 

Joanna isn't near enough to hug him and regrets that. She offers instead, "He must have been a nice man."

"He cared. That's what mattered to me."

They return to watching each other for a short while before Joanna slides another inch towards the opening.

"Captain Jim?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry I messed it up for you."

"What did you mess up?"

She picks at the fabric of her overalls.

Jim repeats, "What did you mess up, JoJo?"

"Your chance to be close to my dad and Mr. Spock." 

"I'm closer to them than I am to anyone else."

She admits, "But I wanted you to be closer."

"Who says we won't be?" challenges Jim.

Joanna's frown becomes deeper. "Daddy does."

But Jim smiles in a way which means he knows something funny that she doesn't. "I'll admit," he says, "that your dad is a tough nut—the kind that gets very grumpy when you try to crack its shell."

That makes her smile a little bit.

"But do you know why?" Jim continues. "Because he's all soft inside. He doesn't like people to see that. What he doesn't understand is that we all know it anyway."

"So... you're saying that my dad is a sweetmeat?"

Jim grins. "Something like that. Though maybe a little more sour than sweet."

Joanna wrinkles her nose. "Your metaphors are weird, Captain Jim."

"I'm not as good at them as Bones is."

"Obviously."

She sounds so much like Spock that they both laugh.

Joanna scoots to the opening to swing her legs over the edge. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

She chews on her bottom lip. It's a question she has heard in school, sometimes hears in the news. It strikes her now. "Is all hope lost?"

"Never," Captain Jim answers readily. "If I've learned nothing else as a captain, at least I know that much." 

"Is he mad?"

"Your dad is worried. Well..." Jim picks up his communicator and flips it open. "...frantic might be a better word. With the ship's main computer offline, we couldn't locate you right away. Even Spock tried explaining to him that the odds of something dangerous happening to you on a nearly empty starship are minimal. Last I heard he was imagining you accidentally opening an airlock."

Joanna snorts, turning over on her belly to slip out of the small shaft she had hidden away in. "That's just dumb. He's the one who said the Enterprise is practically baby-proof. Plus, I know better."

Jim comes forward to help steady her as she drops to her feet. "I know you do, JoJo, but let's call up your dad and set his mind at ease."

She sighs, knowing this part was inevitable, and nods.

Jim switches his comm to an active channel. "Kirk here."

" _Captain._ " Just the one word, even coming from Spock, sounds very irate. " _Why did you close the channel?_ "

"I found Joanna."

Spock's line of questioning changes instantly but his clipped " _Where?_ " is overshadowed by " _Joanna! Joanna, thank god—_ "

Joanna takes the communicator from Captain Jim. Following a deep breath, she says cheekily, "Captain McCoy here."

That has the desired effect. Her father's worry takes a backseat to his temper. 

" _JOANNA ELEANOR MCCOY!_ "

The girl hastily hands the comm back to her superior.

Jim doesn't do anything with it other than lower the volume. He loops an arm around her shoulders, and they start back together.


	5. Part Five

Without the usual hustle and bustle of Sickbay, Joanna can hear her father in the outer ward talking to Captain Jim. His anger has long since faded. In its place, misery seems to have taken hold, the kind that cannot be hidden easily from a precocious child.

Leonard is saying: " _I'm a terrible father._ "

While she listens, Joanna touches the newly regenerated skin of her knees and thinks of curling under the biobed's blanket, though she knows it would do no good to hide again. Her father sounds so defeated. It makes her feel small.

" _Jim, I have no excuse. I know firsthand how dangerous being on this blasted ship can be, but I still let her come aboard._ "

" _Bones..._ "

The man goes on as if no one else is speaking. " _Tell me, what kind of father does that make me?_ "

" _Bones, would you stop?_ "

" _She could have died!_ "

" _McCoy,_ enough. _You're overreac—_ "

A laugh, sharp and bitter, cuts through Jim's command. " _Overreacting? How would you know? You're not a father!_ "

" _No,_ " Jim's voice is harder now, " _but I am the guy who spent the last five years helping you pull your head out of your ass when it comes to your own kid. So don't screw this up. For either of us._ "

" _What's that mean?_ "

" _It means I have a right to care._ "

Joanna twists her fingers.

The one person who has not left her side since her reappearance watches her expression closely, as if trying to decipher how upset she might be. He starts toward the open door but Joanna's simple act of reaching out to Spock stops him from keying it closed.

She wants to hear the rest.

" _I get it, Bones. Joanna needs to be safe. I would never disagree with that. But you'll do her no favors by trying to shield her all the time, and you'll do even more damage by pushing her away. She won't come to you again on her own. You know that._ "

Her father's words have grown softer. " _Yeah, I know. I'm not sure I deserved it the first time._ "

" _You didn't. She's just that great of a kid._ "

Her father's drawl deepens in response to his distress. " _What if—I wonder if—_ "

" _No._ "

Joanna has never heard Captain Jim sound so implacable.

" _Don't dare to wonder, Bones. Be grateful for a daughter who is willing to cross a country to find you, who will brave a space shuttle just to see you for a few days though it terrifies her." Jim's voice gets lower. "Because if you do start to wonder, then you really are a terrible father._ "

" _That's harsh, kid._ "

" _It's true._ "

"I didn't mean to make them fight," Joanna whispers.

"The Captain is telling Dr. McCoy something he needs to hear." Mr. Spock hesitates, stepping closer to her. "But I do not think it benefits you to listen to them. I should close door."

That last statement sounds more like a question, one to which Joanna vehemently shakes her head. 

"Please don't."

"Why?"

She cannot easily explain her reasoning. Her feelings are just too jumbled. Eavesdropping is wrong, she knows that, but the thought of not hearing her father leaves her more frightened than ever.

In response to Joanna's helplessness, Spock extends his hand. 

"May I?" he asks softly.

For the first time since Joanna met him, apprehension takes a hold of her. She has heard that Vulcans can read minds, although she has never seen it done, let alone had it done to her.

Spock is not offended by her show of hesitancy. He says equably, "I see that you are aware I have some telepathic ability. Rest assured, I have no intention of entering your mind, Joanna. You are too young to fully comprehend the risk, therefore you are too young to consent."

"Oh."

"However, my ability is such that when I lower my shields and concentrate, I can feel some of your stronger emotions and surface thoughts. But feeling," he clarifies, "is not discerning, and I would rather not hazard a guess with so little information. Physical contact would make your state of mind clearer to me. It would not be invasive."

"Does it hurt?"

"You would experience no discomfort."

"I meant, does it hurt you?"

She can tell he is startled by the suggestion. 

"It does not."

Joanna offers her hand.

Spock connects their fingertips briefly, then moves his hand to her face to trace her cheekbone. The sensation lasts only for a second.

The Vulcan tucks his hands behind his back. "I understand," is all that he says.

Carefully, Joanna watches him. "Is it... bad?"

The skin around Spock's eyes softens the tiniest bit. "No," he tells the child. "Your father loves you, Joanna. His fear does not lessen that love for you. On the contrary, it reminds him just how precious you are."

She sniffles and nods her head. "Okay, I believe you. You would never lie to me, Mr. Spock."

"I have not, and I never shall," he replies solemnly. 

Joanna realizes, then, that the conversation in the other part of Sickbay has ceased. She turns her head to find Captain Jim leaning in the doorway. Her father is behind him, partially hidden, expression unreadable.

Jim steps forward and makes a slight motion with his hand. Joanna doesn't know what it means but apparently her Vulcan watch-guard does. He obediently goes to his captain, allowing a touch to his shoulder. Then Captain Jim turns and disappears from view of the examination room with Mr. Spock in step beside him, leaving Joanna alone with her father. 

He comes toward her slowly, finds a chair and sets it beside her.

Joanna doesn't say anything—doesn't want to. She slips off the bed's edge and leans into the one man she has loved her whole life. A hug is just the comfort they both need.

~~~

"Mission," Joanna McCoy, in her pajamas, says to the reflection in the mirror, "failed."

Her reflection looks very displeased to hear this.

Joanna continues to brush her hair and think on the events of the past week. At last, she lays her hairbrush down and plants her hands on top of the bathroom counter.

Leaning forward, she challenges the girl in the mirror, "So... what are you going to do about it?"

The girl smiles.

"Good idea!" Joanna congratulates herself. "Captain Jim says there are no such things as no-win scenarios."

Humming a tune only she knows, she ties her long hair back into a ponytail and locates her toothbrush. From the adjacent room, her father inquires if she is ready for bed. Joanna lets him know that she is.

If her father could have read her mind as Vulcan could, he would have learned in that moment that his child is capable of coming up with a plan that will shave years off his life—and in no small part thanks to her association with the people to whom he introduced her.

Later, Leonard tucks her in and kisses her forehead while Joanna smiles sweetly at him. When she pats the top of his hand, he lifts his eyebrow in a silent question.

"Nothing," she says.

"You sure?" he asks.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, darlin'. Sleep tight."

"Night, Daddy."

Once the lights are lowered and her father has returned to his desk in the other room, Joanna flings back her blanket and sits up. She hurriedly arranges two extra pillows into the shape of her body, covers them up, and dons her shoes. Then through the bathroom she goes, past a door and into the quarters of another officer. She sidles right up to said officer's bed and pokes the bare foot hanging off the side.

"Wake up!"

The muffled response is nonsensical.

Joanna does what she has to: she yanks the man, covers and all, off the bed, dumping both onto the floor with a fierce demand of " _Get up!_ "

The man who scrambles belatedly into a sloppy defensive stance, looking about as dangerous as a turtle on its back, is Mr. Scott. His boxers have little red hearts on them.

Joanna wrinkles her nose. "Your taste in underwear is very poor."

Finally realizing who has awoken him, Scotty shrieks and covers himself with a blanket. "By gods, lass! What are ye doin' in here?!"

"We're going hunting."

"What?"

"Hunting," she repeats patiently, turning for the other part of his cabin behind the partition and, beyond that, the entrance to the rest of the ship. "You'll need pants."

"Wait," the engineer cries after her, tripping himself up in his own blanket and banging into various furniture in his path, "I dinnae know what's happening!"

"Hurry up now," she calls back, "or I'll tell my dad I saw your private parts. I'll even cry a little bit too!"

Mr. Scott, it seems, can move extremely fast when he sets his mind to it.

Joanna approves.

~~~

Despite being a seasoned senior officer on Starfleet's flagship, Montgomery Scott is a nervous man. He has been jumping at shadows and checking over his shoulder every few steps. Joanna had to explain to him that they weren't literally on a hunt—and, even so, their strategy would be to entice their prey, not scare them off by making a bunch of noise.

"You're not good at spy stuff, are you?" she questions her companion.

Mr. Scott's gaze darts around. "One time I snuck into a secret base, then snuck onto a secret ship."

"Did you get caught?"

"...Yes."

"Point made."

"Lass, if you told me where we're going, I know I would feel better."

"Don't you know where you are?"

"Uh, we just passed Auxiliary and Weapons. Next is... Life Support. Oh no, we cannae be headed _there_... can we?"

Joanna strides past the turn to Life Support. "Maybe next time."

Mr. Scott hurries to catch up to her. "I have this very bad feeling. If your dad finds out you're missing—"

She lifts a hand to silence him. "He won't. I promise."

"But if he does..."

"I can hit you over the head, and we'll pretend I forced you to cooperate."

Scotty places a hand to the side of his head at the suggestion. "Can't we just tell the truth and say you blackmailed me?"

"Do you really want to mention the part where you had no pants?"

"Never mind."

Joanna points ahead. "Stay alert. You'll need your access code."

In a last ditch effort to persuade her out of whatever scheme she is about to embroil him in, Scotty half-pleads, "I thought your father had a talk with you."

"He talks to me about lots of things, Mr. Scott."

"Er, about... _those_ things. What made you upset."

Joanna stops short and stares the man down. "What are you implying?"

Scotty draws back slightly, looks at her as if she has grown a second head. "Just who are you, lass?"

The girl puffs up. "I'm the protégé of Captain Kirk."

"Oh, aye, that ye are." Mr. Scott shakes his head. "The Academy won't know what to do with you."

That sounds like a good thing to Joanna. "C'mon," she says, resuming the trek to her destination again. "We're almost there."

"And where are we going?"

"The main computer banks."

"And why?"

The girl rolls her eyes. "Mr. Scott, if I told you _everything_ , then how would I surprise you later on?"

Her companion peers into another shadowy corner. "I really dinnae like surprises."

"Dad doesn't even know I'm gone. And he won't," she adds slyly, "unless you fail to aid me in this new mission."

"How come it has to be me?"

She replies, "You're smart," and bounces farther along the corridor.

Scotty hurries to catch up to her, no doubt keenly aware that if he loses sight of her (on top of all the other things he is likely to suffer for at the hands of the ship's surgeon), he might as well put himself on a shuttle headed to the backwoods of space and hide for the rest of his life.

"Plus, you can make the ship do anything."

The engineer's chest sticks out with pride even as he says in a humbler tone, "Well, not quite _anything_."

"I like you, Mr. Scott," Joanna tells him sincerely, "and I need your help."

The man flushes. "When you put it like that, lass, how can I say no?"

That's exactly the answer she was counting on.

~~~

The room containing the main processing terminals is unattended. After all, only those with the high-level security clearance can get inside to access it. Mr. Scott, as Joanna suspected, has that clearance. He appears quite discomforted as he leads her to the central station that interfaces with the computer banks.

She pushes him into the chair in front of the console and declares their first order of business.

"We'll start with shift schedules."

Mr. Scott looks alarmed. "We cannae change the scheduling program!"

"Oh, but we can," insists the child. "Or at least you can create a subroutine to alter the protocol based on a set of special conditions."

"You're eleven. You're not supposed to know about subroutines."

"Captain Jim says learning to program is important." Joanna pauses, taking a second to adjust her expression.

Scotty looks terribly put-upon. "I swear one day I'll be immune to the Puppy Dog eyes."

"But not today." Her face clears as she taps a finger on the computer console. "Can you do it?"

"Aye." The man faces the screen, active and awaiting his input. He interlaces his fingers and cracks their joints. "Lay it out for me. What illegal, potentially life-endangering—said life being mine, of course—thing are we about to do?"

"First, Mr. Spock, Captain Jim, and my dad need to maintain roughly the same work hours. If they don't, their free time won't sync up."

"Sync up free time. Got it."

"Second, because obviously they won't do it themselves, once their off-duty hours are aligned, the scheduler needs to book that time with an event which all three of them will be required to attend. I'm thinking... a meal to start with. I can send you more ideas later, after additional research."

"Won't an erroneous event trigger suspicious?"

"Not at first." Joanna smiles. "Dad is really terrible at remembering where he needs to be when. He'll think he agreed to dinner and just forgot about it. Mr. Spock will show up to be polite, and Captain Jim—I'll take care of Captain Jim." She plans to whisper a reminder in his ear before she and her dad beam to the Earth space station. She will tell him to take opportunities as they arise, especially where her father and Mr. Spock are concerned. After all, he did promise to look after them, didn't he?

"All-righty, then." Scotty does some fast typing. "What else?"

"How easy is it to program the replicators?"

"Not easy."

"That's not what—"

"—Captain Jim says," finishes the engineer with a roll of his eyes. "A normal person can't live by Jim Kirk standards. You'll only disappoint yourself."

Joanna makes no comment on that. "Their personal replicators should surprise them with gifts. Say, for instance, a glass of bourbon from Captain Jim to my dad. And I hear Mr. Spock likes tea. This should occur infrequently in the beginning. Then, as they continue to meet up for various events, the frequency will gradually increase. The replicator can start to create other organic matter... flowers and the like. We may need to get Requisitions involved somehow for specialty items that cannot be replicated."

Scotty pauses in his typing. "Do you think this would work for Nyota?"

Joanna flashes a grin at him. "You could try it."

"I might."

"Good for you, Mr. Scott. Now," she returns them to the business at hand, "about the inter-ship communications..." She taps her fingers against her mouth. "Do you think Captain Jim can be poetic?"

Her companion snorts. "I heard him once say to Dr. McCoy, _'Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't like hyposprays, but I like you!'_ "

Joanna giggles.

"But I know a mite of poetry," Scotty offers somewhat shyly. "I might have written a sonnet once."

"Oooh." Joanna's eyes sparkle. "For who?"

The man blushes fiercely and mutters a response.

"Did your mom like it?"

"Said I was better than Shakespeare."

"Rad! Then you can be in charge of the love notes."

For some reason, Scotty winces. "Joanna, are ye certain we should go that far?"

"Who else will?" questions the girl, voice turning serious. "I have to return to Earth tomorrow, and it's not right to leave things unfinished. Even my dad says that." For a moment, sadness overwhelms her. "They're all lonely, Mr. Scott. Plus, my dad is scared and Captain Jim isn't very confident. I don't know about Mr. Spock but I think, with things left up to him, he would take too long to learn how to share his feelings. And he doesn't have a mother to encourage him like we do."

Mr. Scott wipes at the corner of his eyes. "A'right. You've convinced me. I'll finish this program even if it means the end of my career!" He appears to think on that statement a while longer, adding nervously, "It won't, though... right?"

"Not if no one ever finds the routine," she replies firmly. "I thought about that too. We can secure it with my voice-print. No one would think of me as a security measure."

"Not a half-bad idea, lass."

She beams. "I only have good ideas, sir. I think I could be Federation President."

Her friend simply replies, "When you are inaugurated, don't forget about me."

"Never," the girl promises. "You're going to be my secretary."

Scotty laughs. "I would be honored, President McCoy. Aye, that I would!"

~~~

Sneaking out of the control room is not so simple as getting inside. Joanna and Scotty are busted almost immediately.

And by Mr. Spock, no less.

Joanna has three escape plans come to mind at once, but she wants to see what her apprehender does first.

He ignores her in lieu of focusing on the Chief of Engineer. 

"Mr. Scott, would you care to explain why you are in a restricted sector with unauthorized personnel?"

The man in question pales slightly. "Um, well, you see... that is..." His eyes dart back and forth between Joanna and the Vulcan, as if he cannot decide who terrifies him more.

Joanna locks her hands behind her back and bounces on the balls of her feet. Smiling, she says nothing. 

Mr. Spock also stays silent, keeping his dark, scrutinizing gaze fixed intently upon his subordinate.

Scotty starts to sweat. "Mr. S-Spock," he fumbles, "take pity on a poor man."

"Pity is not my forte."

The engineer laughs nervously. "That was an excellent joke, sir!"

"Nor do I indulge in humorous remarks."

Scotty's laughter dies out.

Joanna wants to know, "How'd you know we were here?"

"I am notified of any entry into the main computer banks."

Joanna purses her mouth. "Is that all?"

Mr. Spock transfers his gaze to her. "I am also notified when a person fitting your description is in the presence of an unapproved escort."

"Hold on," Scotty says, " _I_ am unapproved?"

"As Miss McCoy has a tendency to utilize you as an accomplice, that is correct, Mr. Scott."

"The Capt'n is worse than I am!"

"Duly noted."

Joanna decides that getting caught isn't such a bad thing. It depends on how convincing one is. She clasps her hands in front of her and says, "I asked Mr. Scott to bring me here, sir."

The Vulcan lifts his eyebrow in a silent question of _why?_

"Sadly," here the child sniffles a tiny bit, "I must leave tomorrow. This is the only part of the ship I've never seen, Mr. Spock... and I am afraid Dad won't let me come back after—" She turns her guileless, imploring face up to his. "—what happened." 

"You could have made the request of me or Captain Kirk."

She scuffs the tip of her shoe against the floor. "I don't want Daddy to be mad at either of you." 

"I see."

She hopes that he is satisfied. Technically nothing she has said so far is untrue.

The ensuing silence makes Mr. Scott nervous again. He starts to say, "It'd be a crying shame if the little lass didn't see all of the Enterprise 'fore she goes, Mr. Spock. I was only doing what she—"

Mr. Spock locks his hands behind his back. "You are dismissed, Mr. Scott."

The engineer's mouth clicks shut. 

Joanna waves bye-bye to him, certain if he doesn't leave right then he might inadvertently give their mission away, but Mr. Scott makes no move to take his chance at freedom.

The Vulcan says again, "Dismissed."

"Thank you, Mr. Scott," Joanna tells the man, her tone grateful but firm.

The man blows out a loud breath, shakes his head as if he understands neither of them, and trudges away.

"Joanna," Mr. Spock says plainly, "what is the exact nature of your interest with the ship's computer?"

"Nothing bad."

"While I do not doubt that, your subterfuge is a cause for concern."

She looks at him. "Can't you trust me?"

"Will anyone be harmed?"

"I'm hoping for the opposite."

"Very well." He releases his hands. "You should return to your father now."

With a smile, Joanna opens her arms in invitation.

Spock picks her up as a parent does a small child. Joanna tucks her face into the crook of his neck. She hasn't had someone carry her in a long time, and it's nice to know that there is one person still able to do it.

The walk back to her father's quarters is a silent one, and Joanna finds that she is actually sleepy when they arrive. It is no hardship, then, to pretend that she is unaware of what is happening when she hears the whoosh of the cabin door opening to allow them admission. If anything, this pretense will postpone a lecture of why little girls should not sneak out of their bedrooms in the middle of the night.

Mr. Spock hasn't given her a lecture, so why should her father?

On that thought, she relaxes her muscles as though in repose. It's just in time, for her father comes to investigate who has entered his quarters.

"What is—good Lord, Joanna?!" Joanna's father's voice switches from shocked to furious in one second flat. "Mr. Spock, what's going on?"

"Please lower your voice, Dr. McCoy. Your daughter is resting."

"Not in the place I left her!" But he says this as a fierce whisper. "She was in bed!"

"Unlikely. I estimate that she left your supervision approximately one hour and nineteen minutes ago."

"But how—"

Mr. Spock moves forward. "Perhaps that it is a discussion for another time. May I place her in the bedroom?"

"I can't believe—oh, sorry. Here, give her to me. Why in tarnation are you carrying her?"

Joanna feels the Vulcan stall by taking a step back.

"Doctor, let me be frank."

A snort. "When aren't you?"

Spock ignores that remark and subtly shifts the bundle in his arms. "I am fond of this child. At no time has she been a burden to me."

There is a long moment of silence in the room. 

Then, "I'm not sure what to say... Thank you?"

"Your gratitude is unnecessary but appreciated." Spock, too, pauses for a brief time. "I would make a request of you."

"All right. But, give her to me, won't you? She must be heavy."

"Negative. She should not be disturbed. Doctor, concerning my request... I wish to communicate with your daughter outside of ship's business, as one would with a family member. Is this permissible?"

"Honestly I'm surprised that you haven't asked sooner. Jo would love that—and I don't mind."

Joanna nearly smiles into Spock's neck. That last part sounded so bashful.

The men may be considering each other in a new light, for nearly half a minute passes before either of them moves or speaks again. 

It is Spock who takes action. "I shall transfer her to the bedroom."

A second set of footsteps follows Mr. Spock's. Joanna recognizes the tiny noise of dismay from her father, likely upon discovering that the outline of a person merely consists of pillows. She is positively glad to have them convinced that she is asleep.

Once on the bed, the girl stubbornly clings Spock's neck for a few extra seconds, eyes tightly closed, before she goes limp and allows him tuck a blanket around her. The hand that passes over her hair feels like her father's touch.

It is definitely his voice that whispers in her ear, "We'll talk in the morning, young lady."

_Uh-oh._

Joanna stretches lazily like a person rudely disturbed during sleep, flops over onto her stomach, and pulls the covers over her head.

"C'mon, hobgoblin," her father says. "Time for those details. Would you prefer tea or something stronger?"

"Tea would be welcome."

The overhead lights dim.

Joanna breathes a sigh of relief then huffs into her pillow.

This ending couldn't have turned out better.

~~~

_Ten years later..._

Most adults, as they mature, learn to curb their impatience. Joanna McCoy could be a child again as she races across the green lawn of Starfleet Academy, short hair flying. Her father had said in his missive, _Arrived safely. See you at dinner._ She skipped her favorite class because she has no intention of waiting that long.

Dodging around the crowd of students and taking the stairs to the third level, two at a time, of the Cochrane Hall, she arrives in the waiting area outside the facility's largest conference room just as the door opens and the upper echelon of Starfleet Command filters out in pairs. She raises up on her toes to see over their heads, looking for only those that really interest her. Not one of the passers-by remarks on the fact that a first-year cadet should not be there at all.

Joanna spies a familiar set of shoulders and throws her hand up in the air, waving it madly. "Uncle Spock!" she cries.

Several heads turn. Some sour faces turn sourer. Others, perhaps exuberant themselves, smile tolerantly at the interruption to their conversations.

The composed figure that exits the conference room is certainly her favorite Vulcan. He lifts his hand in the salutation of his people.

She does the same—then throws herself forward to hug him. He obliges her, as he always does, no matter the time or place.

"Surprise!" she says, grinning. 

"Some will be surprised," he replies.

"But not you," the woman finishes.

He answers simply, "I am pleased."

"As am I, Spock of Vulcan," she responds formally, releasing him. 

Another familiar figure comes into view, and her father behind him.

"There she is!" Jim Kirk calls, opening his arms as he crosses the distance between them.

Joanna greets with him with a punch to the shoulder. "Hey, Uncle Jim," she says to him, eyes twinkling. "I'm still pissed at you."

"Shouldn't you be pissed at your father?"

"No, Daddy gets a pass."

"Ouch, I'm hurt." Jim turns to the side slightly. "Bones, I told you she would hold a grudge."

Joanna ignores him and moves past him to her father. "Dad, seriously... What was the rush? If you'd called, I could have packed and been on the next shuttle space-side in a few hours."

"It wasn't a planned thing, Jo."

"Obviously!"

They size each other up before sharing an identical smile. 

Leonard says, "C'mere," and Joanna gladly accepts his hug.

She tweaks his nose as he used to tweak hers years ago and teases, "You've got a new patch of gray right here..."

Her father bats her hand away from his temple. "Don't remind me. You're responsible for most of that."

"I thought Uncle Jim was."

"Him too."

Her eyes continue to twinkle. "And Uncle Spock?"

"No. The Vulcan's a saint by comparison."

Spock demurs, "Leonard, you are too kind."

Jim bridges the distance between everyone by placing one hand on Leonard's shoulder and the other hand on Spock's. "Save it for the honeymoon, guys."

Joanna laughs when her father's face turns red. She steals his right hand and says, "I want Granny McCoy's ring now."

Obligingly he twists the ring off his smallest finger, but at the last moment he withholds it, telling her, "There's one condition."

Joanna is confident that she can handle any challenge her father wants to make. "Shoot."

He jerks his thumb at the other members of their group. "For god's sake, don't marry anybody like Spock or Jim."

Jim leans toward Leonard with a smile on his face. "Bones, hey, you know you love me."

Leonard concludes dryly, "Because I couldn't handle more than what I currently have."

She plucks the ring from her father and bounces away. "I've already got some candidates."

Whatever answer her father thought she would give him, apparently it isn't that. 

He starts after her. "Wait, Jo, what's that mean?"

"How do ya'll feel about a meet-the-parents dinner—or three?" she calls over her shoulder, heading for the stairs.

"You're barely in your twenties!" her father cries.

"Somebody wants to meet the famous Captain Kirk?" Jim questions, cracking his knuckles. "Excellent. Spock, what's our scare tactic?"

"We lack sufficient data to be efficient but, in preparing for this scenario some time ago, I believe I developed a strategy which would work quite well to exploit the weaknesses of most suitors."

"I like the way you think, Spock."

"What are you two doing?" Joanna hears her father say from the next level up. "Less planning, more action! We have to catch my little girl before she does something crazy!"

"JoJo!" Jim hollers down the stairs for the entire Academy to hear. "Have a heart, wait up for the old folks!"

Since it is in fact the famous Captain Kirk who is asking, Joanna figures she can accommodate the request. As the three men come down the stairs together (Kirk flanked by Spock and McCoy) she sees many things: merriment in the face of her Uncle Jim, contentment in the eyes of her Uncle Spock, and turmoil, clear as day, roiling through her father.

None of what she sees gives her pause to doubt that they love her—or that they have finally, truly come to appreciate what they have with each other. For that, she can forgive them for having the wedding without her. 

Or bonding ceremony. Or whatever weird thing they called it.

Besides, Grandpa Sarek is lying in wait back at the apartment along with a few dozen family members and friends. If her father and two new stepfathers think they are getting out of a celebration, they are going to be extremely surprised.

Joanna grins to herself. Her family is complete at last.

Okay, maybe she can wait a day or two before telling them the meet-the-parents thing is real.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for following along and for your patience while I tried my best to wrap this story up. I enjoyed writing it quite a lot - Joanna was fun and fantastic as a meddler! - and I hope you have enjoyed reading it just as much. :) 
> 
> Farewell until Story brings us together again, my friends!


End file.
